GUEST: Well I know that my Mom got them from her great-aunt through the family and they're from Arizona we think probably the early 1900s. That's about all I know.
Natalie: They're probably from the Gila River Reservation, the Pimas, in Arizona.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
Natalie: Because of this very unusual start right here, this is probably an early, early Papago basket and they're sometimes referred to as Pimago.
GUEST: Okay.
Natalie: Part Pima, part Papago. It's very old. This basket was probably woven in 1890 to 1900.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
Natalie: Papago is a different area, but it is so old that they used the Pima materials.
GUEST: Oh, did they? Okay.
Natalie: Normally the Papago would have used Yucca.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
Natalie: But here she uses Pima materials. Both baskets are made of willow, which is the tan material and devil's claw, which is the dark material. This has gotten a lot of wear over the years and the other wonderful thing about this basket is the design. Do you know what this design is?
GUEST: I don't.
Natalie: It's one of the oldest, rarest, designs. It's the butterfly wings and these large symbols right here. They're very desirable and what also makes this not a true Pima basket, is that the Pimas usually put a whip stitch around the edge of their basket.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
Natalie: This is just like an over under.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
Natalie: There are a few stitches missing, but age, and then there's some patina or patination that has made it a little golder in areas.
GUEST: Uh-huh.
Natalie: This basket is probably circa 1930s, maybe 1920s.
GUEST: Okay.
Natalie: Also, doesn't have the typical Pima whip stitch around the edge and both of these baskets, especially this one, would have been made for tourists. There used to be only seven main Pima motifs.
GUEST: Okay.
Natalie: Then they got a little bit more florid. They would make their things more for what the tourists liked. This was not a traditional design at all, this was.
GUEST: That one is.
Natalie: You don't know what they paid for it?
GUEST: I don't. It's just sort of gone through the families.
Natalie: This basket I think we're talking $1,000 to $1,100.
GUEST: Okay.
Natalie: This basket, a retail value would possibly be around $750.
GUEST: Okay.
