Blog - Page 32 - Pacwesttraders

How a basket was made tells you where it was made

The single most reliable identifier of regional basket traditions is not decoration — it is the construction technique. A short tour of…

Sarah Mills May 12, 2026 3 min read

Terminology

The words we use: a short guide to current terminology

The terminology in this field has changed substantially in the last forty years. A short guide to which terms are current, which…

Sarah Mills May 12, 2026 3 min read

Conservation

The gentlest intervention is almost always the right one

The conservator's standard is documented, reversible, minimal. A short guide to what that actually means when the object is sitting on your…

Sarah Mills May 12, 2026 2 min read

Regional Traditions

How to tell Pueblo pottery from Diné pottery at a glance

The two traditions are often grouped under "Southwestern pottery," which papers over fundamental differences in clay, firing, and form. A short walkthrough…

Sarah Mills May 12, 2026 2 min read

Provenance

Reading old collection labels: what the paper on the back tells you

The labels glued to the back of a basket or the underside of a pot are not decoration. They are the object's…

Sarah Mills May 12, 2026 2 min read