Description
Using ash splints and sweetgrass, Wabanaki basketmakers fashion baskets in a wide variety of shapes and styles. This basket is probably Maliseet, dating to around 1930. It is made with ash splints, sweetgrass and Hong Kong cord.
The kinds of baskets being made at any given time reflect both the choice of the individual basketmaker and the demands of the market. During the heyday of the tourist market in the late 1800s, basketmakers created many new basket types to appeal to the taste of the Victorian ladies who purchased them.
Today, basketmaking is widely recognized as an important traditional art form with deep cultural roots. At the same time, individual artists are exploring new forms and decorative styles and receiving national attention for their work.
View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network.