Shay Family Baskets

Detail image of a basket woven around a vase and with handles like a trophy.

Leo and Florence Shay’s extended family included Florence’s sister Lucy Nicolar Poolaw and Leo’s sister Pauline Shay. This family of renowned basketmakers creates baskets with distinctive weaving hallmarks and forms. Pauline was known for her strawberry tatting baskets. Lucy Nicolar Poolaw toured the United States under the stage name of Princess Watahwaso. She returned to Indian Island in 1929 with her husband and they ran The Teepee Trading Post. This building can still be seen at the entrance to Indian Island today.

Bob and his uncle Charles Norman Shay collected many examples of family baskets–vases woven over Depression Glass that featured an imported cord, Hong Kong cord, in lieu of sweetgrass. These vases have rings on each side that are wrapped in a star pattern. The family is also known for weaving Hong Kong cord in a chevron pattern on wastebaskets and sewing baskets.

Image of small, round basket with applied details of sweetgrass braids.

Fancy Basket

By Lawrence “Billy” Shay

c. 1990

HM9553

Fancy Basket

By Lawrence “Billy” Shay

c. 1990

HM9186

Basket in the shape of a trophy and woven around a vase.

Jar Basket

By Madeline Tomer Shay

c. 1990

HM9181

Image of round basket with sweetgrass and curls.

Sewing Basket

By Madeline Tomer Shay

c. 1993

Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Collection

Small round basket with braided sweetgrass details.

Collar Basket

By Lawrence “Billy” Shay

c. 1990

Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Collection

Image of tall basket that widens slightly from base.

Jardiniere

By Attributed to the Shay Family

c. 1930 – 1940

The design was created by weaving over the basket’s weavers with a second layer of dyed splints to make the desired pattern. Examples of this type of basket may be seen in historic images of the Poolaw’s teepee Trading Post, (ex. HM7182.32).

HM9586