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Plateau Basketry: Sally Bags

sallybag01
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
1 of 45
sallybag01a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
2 of 45
sallybag01b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
3 of 45
sallybag02
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco-Wishram
4 of 45
sallybag02a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
5 of 45
sallybag02b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
6 of 45
sallybag03
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco-Wishram
7 of 45
sallybag03a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
8 of 45
sallybag03b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
9 of 45
sallybag04
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco-Wishram
10 of 45
sallybag04a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
11 of 45
sallybag04b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
12 of 45
sallybag05
Cylindrical Bag, by Natalie Kirk
13 of 45
sallybag05a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, by Natalie Kirk
14 of 45
sallybag05b
Cylindrical Bag, Detail by Natalie Kirk
15 of 45
sallybag06
Cylindrical Bag, by Pat Courtney Gold
16 of 45
sallybag06a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, by Pat Courtney Gold
17 of 45
sallybag06b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, by Pat Courtney Gold
18 of 45
sallybag07
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
19 of 45
sallybag07a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
20 of 45
sallybag07b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
21 of 45
sallybag08
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco-Wishram
22 of 45
sallybag08a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
23 of 45
sallybag08b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco-Wishram
24 of 45
sallybag09
Cylindrical Bag, Umatilla
25 of 45
sallybag09a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Umatilla
26 of 45
sallybag09b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Umatilla
27 of 45
sallybag10
Cylindrical Bag, Cayuse
28 of 45
sallybag10a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Cayuse
29 of 45
sallybag10b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Cayuse
30 of 45
sallybag11
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
31 of 45
sallybag11a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
32 of 45
sallybag11b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
33 of 45
sallybag12
Cylindrical Bag, Cayuse
34 of 45
sallybag12a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Cayuse
35 of 45
sallybag12b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Cayuse
36 of 45
sallybag13
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
37 of 45
sallybag13a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
38 of 45
sallybag13b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
39 of 45
sallybag14
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
40 of 45
sallybag14a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
41 of 45
sallybag14b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
42 of 45
sallybag15
Cylindrical Bag, Wasco
43 of 45
sallybag15a
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
44 of 45
sallybag15b
Cylindrical Bag Detail, Wasco
45 of 45

View the entire gallery or click on the above images to enlarge.

Flexible cylindrical baskets, also known as 'sally bags,' are a hallmark of Columbia Plateau weaving. Historically often identified with Wasco and Wishram peoples, they were also produced by neighboring groups like Umatilla and Cayuse. Over time, traditional fibers like dogbane and grasses have been augmented with new materials, including cornhusks, yarn, and even beads. Rims are often finished with leather, with loops to attach the basket to a belt. Sally bags could thus be used to carry and store roots and other foods, as well as medicines and personal items. Contemporary weavers, including Pat Courtney Gold and Natalie Kirk, continue to create sally bags, as illustrated by examples of their work shown here.

A sample of MNCH holdings is presented here, photo-documented by Roger Scott as part of the museum's ongoing digitizing efforts. Details of each basket 'start' are included — while not extensively documented, the initiation of a basket may be viewed as a signature identifying a particular weaver's work. Text by Pam Endzweig and web development by Robert Voelker-Morris and Keith Hamm. Images © UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Production of this gallery was generously supported by The Ford Family Foundation.