Apache coiled pine pitch water jar (Tus) with Buckskin strap c1800 10”x7” For Sale
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Apache coiled pine pitch water jar (Tus) with Buckskin strap c1800 10”x7”: $175.00
Native American craftspeople, particularly among Apache groups in the American Southwest, made these woven water vessels by hand using traditional coiled basketry techniques. They were crafted during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to serve as practical, waterproof containers for gathering and storing drinking water in arid regions. Makers tightly wove split sumat or willow shoots over a foundation rod and then sealed every pore by coating the interior and exterior with melted pine tree resin. Nomadic families used them during long journeys and seasonal camps, carrying the jars suspended by leather straps across their backs or pack animals. The pine pitch made the baskets completely watertight while also keeping the stored liquid cool through natural evaporation in the desert heat. Over time, as metal canteens and commercial jugs became widely available, these handmade vessels gradually ceased to be made for daily camp use and instead became valued cultural artifacts.
