Feather boxes were believed to have been generally made with perishable materials though a very few are known made from ceramic. The kivas, which were built into the ground in a circular fashion, had either a shelf or sometimes niches in the walls where precious items were kept or displayed. Birds of prey feathers were highly prized and special ones were placed into a box-like-holder and displayed on the shelf or in the niche in the kiva.

The period for the basket is P-IV (1300 - 1525AD) and is completely consistent with the designs known to have been made during the period with pottery.

THE TEXT FROM THE BOOK READS “PLATE 31 – SNOWFLAKE BLACK-ON-WHITE, CIBOLA WHITE WARE, ca. AD 1100-1250, height 8”, length 9.5”. The duck effigy canteen is painted with a checkered rattlesnake stretched around the shoulder of the vessel. (82) The head of the snake painted on the breast of the effigy is a startling, grimacing death head similar to those discussed in Plates 49, 54, and 68.”

This is a very rare effigy, the broad bill is virtually never seen and the “death-head snake” exceptionally rare. There is a piece of restoration on the bottom left side (looks like the country of India, photo #7) and a very small (less than a dime) piece on the right side. The slip is very white, very dark consistent black paint and bright hard polish. For some unknown reason effigies are undervalued in today's market...this piece is an exceptional value.

The obverse has a distinctive head with three dimensional eyes and nose; there are four horizontal bands of color…red, white, dark red/white and black. The center of the pallet has a distinctive white pigment and the border is executed in both red and black. There are two well-defined legs, one red and the other black, which terminate in a distinctive foot. The obverse though is what really distinguishes this piece. Again, the head has four bands of color but in the center of the back are SEVEN (7) clearly defined concentric rings, each a different color.

What this piece was used for is not clear; it is possible that the center held a reflective mica material which would have made it similar to today’s mirrors. A truly rare and exceptional artifact of the Anasazi culture!