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Coil and sifter basket | Pootsaya

Date: 2014

Artist or Maker: Iva Honyestewa (b. 1964)

Dimensions:

8.3 × 32 cm (3 1/4 × 12 5/8 in.)

Medium: yucca | rabbit brush | willow | artificial sinew | dyes

Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 2014.

Object Number: SAR.2014-4-1

Not on view

DescriptionThe center of the basket is a coil plaque with four yellow triangles outlined in black, against the natural color of the yucca. The coil portion is then outlined in black where it is stitched to the rest of the basket, which is woven with the sifter technique, using natural colored yucca and dyed black yucca. The design is of four clouds in the center (the yellow triangles) with four design sections radiating out from the center, consisting of lightning, corn seeds, and rain. The artist pioneered the weaving technique used in this basket, which is a combination of a coiled center woven into a surrounding sifter basket. The Hopi name she gave to the technique is pootsaya (derived from a combination of the Second Mesa Hopi dialect words for coil (poota) and sifter (tustaya)).

In Collection(s)

Works by IARC Artist Fellows

The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.