Dolly Barnes and Molly Neptune Parker - Hudson Museum - University of Maine

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Dolly Barnes and Molly Neptune Parker

Detail image of a basket cover with brown ash flowers.

Dolly Barnes learned to make baskets from her mother, Molly Neptune Parker (1939-2020), an award winning basketmaker who was the recipient of a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow and First People Fund’s Community Spirit Award. Dolly started making baskets as a child, using scraps that she found. Over time her mother taught her fancy basket styles passed down in their family for generations, especially flowertop baskets. Dolly continues to make these styles as well as vases, tall open cylinder baskets, knitting baskets, button baskets, and forms ornamented with curlwork and sweetgrass braid.

Image of small blue basket with curls and flower detail on cover.

Miniature Flowertop Basket

By Dolly Barnes
2024
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Anonymous Lender

Image of small orange basket with curls.

Fancy Basket

By Dolly Barnes
2024
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Anonymous Lender

Image of basket woven around purple vase. Basket is tan and blue.

Vase Basket

By Dolly Barnes
2018
Brown Ash, Sweetgrass, and Plastic

2018-02-001
Loaned by the Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor; Purchased with the Friends of the Collection Fund

Basket with sweetgrass and red weaver details and flowers clustered on cover.

Flowertop Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker and Dolly Barnes
2008
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Collection

Rectangular basket with decorative motifs of braided grass.

Feather Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker
2015
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

David Shoemaker Fund Acquisition

Image of basket shaped like bright red strawberry with braided grass handle.

Strawberry Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker
2000
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Image of wide, round basket with curl details and ring handle on cover.

Sewing Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker
c. 1970
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Ex. Peter Smith Terry Collection, Unity College

Image of a basket with large wooden flowers decorating the cover.

Flowertop Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker or Irene Dana (Molly’s mother)
c. 1960
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Ex. Peter Smith Terry Collection, Unity College

Image of basket with intricate details made with sweetgrass braids and brown ash curls.

Fancy Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker
1999
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Secord Collection

Flower Top Basket by Molly Nepture Parker (1939-2000) - Passamaquoddy -

Flowertop Sewing Basket

By Molly Neptune Parker
2020
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Acquisition supported by a grant from the Belvedere Traditional Handcrafts Fund,
Maine Community Foundation

Image of basket, circular, with pale weavers, bright green elements, and details of braided grass. Flowers clustered on cover.

Flowertop Sewing Basket

By Dolly Barnes
2024
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Acquisition supported by the Taproot Foundation

Image of baskets shaped like strawberries of decreasing sizes and two brown ash birds strung on a curled braid of sweetgrass.

Strawberry Life Cycle

By Geo Neptune
2025
Brown Ash and Sweetgrass

Acquisition supported by Bangor Savings Bank Wabanaki Art Acquisition Fund

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