Circular lidded basket woven from whole plant stems. The stems forming the horizontal bands are wider, from relatively mature plants. These are coiled and joined together by being interwoven irregularly with the narrower vertical stems to form the sides of the basket. The base is of flimsier material and has been made separately and bound to the sides at the edges. The lid is attached to the base at one side, and is formed of twill woven stems. A tag for opening the lid is made of what appears to be a strip of hide.
Label: One old red exhibition label was found with the object.
Label: One small brown paper label was found with the object.
An accompanying letter from the collector of the basket is on the notepaper of the North Star Trading Company. It reads: 'These baskets were gotten at Koluschin Bay Northwestern Siberia and are made by the Tchucki natives inhabiting that part of Siberia they are made of willows growing about 20 miles from the village which consist of 5 Houses made of Snowwhite deerskins the name of the village is Nutapinman and is not marked on the chart the natives in that village was very much afraid of a Phonograph and for the first time in their Life they saw a Schooner or a Vessel of any kind Capt Chas Madsen of the U.S. Trading Co. of Nome Alaska being the first white man that called at that Village so far North of Civilisation he also secured a lot of Polar Bear Skins there which are now for sale here at the Fair. Capt. Chas. Madsen.'
