Miniature Tohono O’Odham Horsehair Basket

1980s tiny hand-coiled Tohono O’odham basket made entirely from horsehair, with pale horsehair forming the body and darker horsehair used to create a radiating geometric design. Despite measuring only one inch across, the basket is carefully shaped into a shallow bowl with finely spaced stitching and a strong spiral composition.

Miniature horsehair basketry became a distinctive form within Tohono O’odham basketmaking during the 20th century, allowing weavers to create exceptionally small and intricate vessels using horsehair rather than traditional plant fibers. Museum collections include comparable Tohono O’odham miniature baskets dating from the 1960s through the 1990s.

1” Diameter, .375” Depth