Vintage Quill And Birch Bark Lidded Basket With Squirrel

Every now and then, you can find special Native American made non-jewelry objects at Turquoise & Tufa. How adorable is this vintage squirrel basket handmade of porcupine quills and birch bark.

Since the little basket is lidded, it makes an artful, unique and historic storage container for little mementos or jewelry. It was carefully fashioned by an Indigenous Woodlands artist and dates back to the mid-20th century.  

The sweet basket measures 3 3/4" diameter and 2 1/2" tall with the lid on.  The bottom of the basket has a small crack in the bark that is simply cosmetic in nature - it doesn't go through to the inside of the basket.

This piece originally comes from the collection of Martha Hopkins Struever, the beloved Native American art dealer, collector and scholar, who resided in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When she saw the adorable squirrel on top, she knew it had to be hers.