Basket People are in people's homes and in people's museums. Soon one will be on a movie screen. Let's explore the older, static forms first, then take a look at basketry on men, and men in baskets, in the next blogpost, Basket People Part 2: Wicker Men.
This category of basket people includes basketry dolls, effigy or figural baskets, and the like, from corn husk dolls from farming communities worldwide (not discussed in this post) to folded tule dolls of Indigenous Californians.
Among the first basket people that came to my mind are the basketry figures of the O'odam peoples of Arizona. This type of basket was primarily made for the tourist market. According to Andrew Hunter Whiteford (Southwestern Indian Baskets: Their History and Their Makers, 1988, page 139), these forms became popular in the 1930s and many artists were making them in the 1940s. They are primarily female figures. Male figures are more rare, as are effigies including owls, dogs, turtles, and various other animals.
The couple in this photograph live in my china cabinet. She carries a pot on her head, and the design on her dress is made of yucca root. He looks sporty with buttons on his shirt, a belt, and cool footwear. These baskets are coiled of willow, yucca (yellowish), yucca root (brownish), and devil's claw (black) on a beargrass or cattail foundation. He stands 11.2 cm tall.
Many more basket people like these live in museums.
A most charming figural basket from the Akimel O'odham is housed at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, object number 4740-1. It's coiled of willow and devil's claw on a cattail bundle foundation, and was made in the mid-20th century. See it here: https://cdm16286.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15086coll3/id/78/rec/22
A female figure with an expressive face and detailed dress is also at the Heard Museum, object number NA-SW-PG-B-119. She was made around 1970 and is coiled of yucca (bleached and unbleached) and devil's claw on a beargrass foundation. She can be seen here: https://cdm16286.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15086coll3/id/53/rec/37
A basket man that appears ready for action can be found at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, object number 1989.8.33. It was made by a Klamath or Modoc weaver and is twined of cattail and tule. He's dressed in fringed leather breaches sewn with thread. He has a wicked looking wooden club with a black obsidian blade attached to the business end of it. This basket was made around 1930 - 1950. Visit him here: https://collections.eiteljorg.org/objects/1687/doll?ctx=85de2eb44ec8898d6db19600d4885e71992756b3&idx=0
My blogpost on South American Figural Baskets features a colorful woman figure from Ecuador (post created 2/6/2026).
A friendly looking dog made by Tohono O'odham weaver Lucy Andrew, circa 1961, has its home at the Arizona State Museum, object number e-4645ab. Diane Dittemore of the Arizona State Museum discusses it here: https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/curators-choice/prize-winning-baskets
Dolls made of tule (bulrush) are made by various California Indigenous peoples, including the Miwok and Pomo. To learn about tule dolls from Kimberly Morales Johnson of the Gabrielino Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, visit the website of The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This same page also features basketry dolls from the Purepecha of Mexico and Annishinaabe of Minnesota. https://nhm.org/stories/tule-and-its-many-gifts
These are fun baskets, and each has its own captivating personality.
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