Alaskan Artistry - July 2017

A recent trip to the far north included a visit to the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. What an amazing collection of what they refer to as "Alaska Native Material," including two textile pieces that particularly called out to me.

The piece on the left is what remains of the Thorne River Basket – twined of spruce roots and approximately 5,450 years old. It was found on Prince of Wales Island  buried in wet mud with mussel shells nearby, thought to be its original contents. It is one of the oldest baskets ever recovered in Alaska or the Northwest Coast. The piece on the right is a pair of grass socks used for insulation with skin boots, made by the Yu'pik in Southwestern Alaska.