A Costanoan beaded woven basket was among the highlights of a sale of Native American art at Bonhams San Francisco on December 7.

It achieved $27,500.

The Costonoan people originate from the area around modern day San Francisco

The Costonoan or Ohlone people live on the coast of central and northern California.

They existed in large numbers prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century, but their population declined soon after due to disease and the influence of the missions.

Bonhams explains: "The attribution to a San Francisco Bay area culture, the Ohlone or Coastal Miwok, stems from a number of factors: the use of sedge stitching on a three-rod construction; fag ends of the sewing material tucked under succeeding stitches visible on the basket's interior; and the use of olivella shell attachments instead of the clam shell beads found elsewhere among California basket makers.

"A lack of shell pendants about the rim and the lack of overstitching on the rim may, in fact, point towards an Ohlone origin as being the most likely."

A wood pipe from the Pacific Northwest also sold well, achieving $21,250.

It displays an unidentified mythological figure being ridden by two humans.

The lot was last sold for $70 in 1970, resulting in an increase of 13.5% per annum over the past 45 years - indicating how the market for Native American artefacts has grown in recent decades.

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