Storage Basket
Artist
Unknown
Culture
Nipmuc
Datemid-1800s
Mediumash splints, dye
Dimensions24.5 x 40.3 x 42 cm (9 5/8 x 15 7/8 x 16 9/16 in.)
ClassificationsCanework
Credit LineGift of John H. and Dorothy Shea, in memory of their daughter, Eileen Shea Spingler
Object number1998.123
Label TextThe Nipmuc people—whose ancestral homeland stretches across present-day central Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island, and northeastern Connecticut—have woven baskets for centuries. Traditionally used for storage, these baskets also became an important trade item and income source for Indigenous families with the growing encroachment of European settlement in the 1700s.This example is made of wooden splints from locally harvested ash trees. The hand-painted decoration of vines, leaves, berries, and medallions reflect important symbols in Nipmuc culture. Today, this basket-making tradition is threatened by the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is devastating ash trees throughout the region.ProvenanceEstate sale, Ledyard, CT, auctioned by Robert H. Glass Associates, June 26, 1998, lot 23; Valley Farms Antiques, Essex CT
On View
On viewCurrent Location
- Exhibition Location Gallery 3002
