Double Ceremonial Basket (c. 1975)

"The double ceremonial just came to us. I just wanted to make something big," says master weaver Mary Holiday Black. This double ceremonial basket is huge—46 inches in diameter. Experimenting with different forms of her art yet staying within tradition, Mary designed and worked on this basket with her daughter Sally Black. Sally recounts that she and her mother were warned that weaving small baskets could constrict their minds and lives, so they decided to weave a giant one instead. Rich colors and mellow natural sumac create a warmly contrasting background for a second red band, a dazzling second row of black mountains, and a central seven-star ceremonial basket pattern.