"A catalogue of North American Indian baskets from the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The baskets shown span the late 18th century through 2003, though the majority of them were made during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 200+ illustrations are accompanied by an essay that explores Native American basketry from the point of view of contemporary basket-makers, with a discussion of the functional, aesthetic, and cultural thinking behind the basket-maker's selection of materials, weaves, and other technical elements. Five contemporary Native American basket-makers and one basketry scholar highlight historic baskets from the collections and compare them to 21st-century pieces.".