I've bought and sold fine authentic North American Native baskets on Ebay for several years.It's my business to know what to look for . I have several good books ( like, Indian Baskets by Lobb, and Indian Baskets by Turnbaugh & Turnbaugh..) that have helped hone my eye so that even poor photos of good baskets don't escape my attention. Knowing which baskets are authentic is very important , but identifying those made in other countries is just as important. It's not possible to be an expert on all baskets from everywhere , but there's one book I've found, specially if you're a buyer, that you must have ! It could save you hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars by helping you turn a blind eye to eBay listings claiming,'found with many other Indian art works', or 'given to my late mother by a native elder' or 'from the estate of a man who collected native art', or 'tribe unknown'.

"Art of the Basket" by Brian Sentance, has allowed me to identify hundreds of baskets being sold on ebay that were made around the world and have nothing what so ever to do with American 1st Nations people, but were listed as such ,in very compelling terms. Many sellers , even honest ones are hoping that the $5 garage sale basket they bought will turn out to be a $500 ebay sale. They're also hoping that you won't know the difference. Well now you will ! This one book can make all the difference between an authentic Native weaving collection and a assortment of lovely African,Indonesian,Chinese and European basket work.

While it's not the only book to have , if it is the only book you do have , it'll be enough to turn you away from buying Chinese rush baskets being sold as Nootka weaving, African baskets being sold as Eskimo , Rawandan Tutsi baskets being sold as Southwest Indian and African water basket lids being sold as Makah woven mats ! ( the book also includes several photos of authentic American 1st Nations work as well...)

I have no stake in the publication of this book and will derive no compensation from it's sales. I even expect that after reading this guide no one will vote that it was in any way helpful. BUT.... the day after anyone is smart enough to buy a copy of this book , they'll rush back to this guide and try to pump in 150 votes saying just how much this one book has helped them stay away from the massive amount of non native baskets, being auctioned on eBay as authentic American Indian weaving. 

As I write this there are 3 of these $45 books ( selling for $18 or more..)listed on eBay , that are being passed up by the very people who will spend $300 on non native basket , because they just dont know the difference. One of them could be you !

Seasons Greetings & Happy Ebaying !

Komokwa 

ps. If you collect non native baskets then you could benefit from this book even more !