Very Fine Little Makah-Nuu-chah-nulth Lidded Basket with Whalers in Boat black steel candleholders stitched together at the sides

stitched together at the sides

In my ideal world

On the side of the chop is incised text

which from what I understand was the generic sticker for glass made in Czechoslovakia

but I have learned that it is in fact a Peruvian Chancay burial doll

Very Fine Little Makah-Nuu-chah-nulth Lidded Basket with Whalers in Boat black steel candleholders stitched together at the sidesI have completely fallen in love with Makah and Nuu chah nulth (Nootka) baskets, so finely woven of bear grass with cedar bark rims, and frequently featuring figurative elements like this one, with a pair of figures in what I believe are whaling boats on either side. While this very little one I believe dating to the early 20th century has some damage to the lid, the bottom half is in excellent condition and it remains a really lovely little piece.