Hopi Basketry

Techniques

Three basic techniques, plaiting, wicker, and coiling, are employed by Hopi basket weavers. More than one method is sometimes used in making a single basket, providing an array of visual effects.

Each technique calls for certain plant materials. Wicker baskets are made from sivaapi (rabbit brush) and suuvi (sumac), while plaited baskets are made from siwi (dune brush) and suuvi. Coiled baskets are woven with mo:'vi(yucca) and sivaapi. Other organic materials are sometimes used as substitutes, but all are gathered from the natural vegetation in northern Arizona.

Basketry specialization between the Hopi mesas probably occurred in the 1800s. Coiled baskets became the speciality of Second Mesa, and wicker became the speciality of Third Mesa. These specializations remain, although plaiting is in use throughout the mesas. In this way, all Hopi basketry shares a distinct style grounded in Hopi tradition stretching back many centuries into the past.

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