Hopi basketmakers are some of the finest artists in this medium in North America. Today, while many Pueblo peoples no longer weave baskets, Hopi women continue a centuries-long tradition of basketry. They are also innovative artists, developing new methods and designs from traditional ones. Red, yellow, and black are the usual colors skillfully arranged to produce katsina, animal, blanket, and geometric designs. The natural colors of plant materials used to construct the baskets serve as a background for the designs, constrasting with the vivid colors of commercial dyes. The symbolism and tradition in Hopi basketry designs link each unique handmade basket to other parts of Hopi life, past and present. In particular, basketry designs reflect aspects of Hopi religion and agriculture. For the Hopi, just as the basket's fibers are woven together, so are all the pieces of Hopi culture: none is unrelated to another.
To see photographs of some Hopi baskets:
