19th Century Baskets
The collection features a wide variety of basket forms made in the mid- to late-19th century. These works include band baskets characterized by wide splint weavers and standards with mineral and botanical pigment dyes swabbed only on the exterior surface. There are also a variety of open work basket forms, which were used as gathering, fruit and sewing baskets.
These forms of baskets did not typically include the use of sweetgrass—a fragrant marsh grass. Splints on the larger baskets are not gauged, but many of the open work baskets feature finely gauged splints that are less than 1/16” wide. Toward the end of the 19th century many of these examples were embellished with curl work—especially porcupine curls.
Hex Weave Work Basket
Late-19th Century
Fannie Hardy Eckstorm wrote extensively on Wabanaki material culture, gaining first- hand knowledge from her father who was a trader and her relationship with the Penobscot People. She noted that this form of basket uses the same weaving for infilling snowshoes.
Open Work Basket
Late-19th Century