Miniature Horsehair Tray with Humans and Cactus by Adeline Manuel, Tohono O'odham

Extremely Fine Miniature Tray with Humans and Cactusby Adeline Manuel, Tohono O'odhamhorsehair2 3/8” diameter The Tohono O'odham of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico are an indigenous tribe known worldwide for their beautiful basketry. Traditionally a semi-nomadic people, the Tohono O'Odham lifestyle called for light, transportable containers. Their baskets varied in shape and size depending on the use and were traditionally made from willow or yucca. These baskets were utilitarian objects; used for drying fruit, storing food, or sifting and separating seeds. At the end of the 19th century, the Tohono O'Odham people transitioned from a subsistence economy to a money economy. One of the best ways to make money was to sell artwork and their baskets were in demand. Finer baskets with intricate designs commanded higher prices. Europeans introduced horses to the American West and in the mid-20th century, those horses greatly influence Tohono O'Odham basketry. They began weaving extre