Browse Items (189 total)

Berry Basket, c. 1840, Ash Splint, Possibly Mohegan, Housed at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum For generations of indigenous people, the art of basketry has been a primary source of economic survival and cultural preservation. Basket making is never a…

Farm Basket, mid-late 1800s, Wood Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society The Life of a Basket waligek abaznoda gagalnemenal/ abaznodakad w’eljial. A good basket holds its maker's hands. (Jesse Bruchac, "Abaznodaal") Baskets are…

Thomas Commuck (Narragansett) published his hymnal, Indian Melodies, in 1845. While Commuck clearly states that the purpose of this collection is to “make a little money,” to provide for the needy as well as his family, and to “spread the knowledge…

Yarn Basket, c. 1760, Ash Splint, Penacook Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society This ash splint yarn basket, dating to 1760, is one of the earliest baskets in our online archive. It is also one of the earliest known Penacook baskets.…

Berry Basket, 1840, Ash Splint & Hong Kong Cord, Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society Made from ash splint and detailed with Hong Kong Cord, this berry basket stands out because of the handwritten note on its ash splints that names…

Wall Basket, late 1700s to mid 1800s, Ash Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society Probably used to store fruits and vegetables, this basket was made to hang on a hook on the wall (Hopkinton Historical Society). Wide-open spaces at…

Hair Basket, c.1880-1920, sweetgrass & ash splint, Mi'kmaq, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society Probably made by Mi’kmaq Indians, this small fancy basket was used as a holding place for locks of hair ("Hair Basket"). Keeping hair for…

Fancy Basket, c. 1900, Sweetgrass & Ash Splint, Abenaki, Housed at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum This fancy basket with a flip lid has dark colored handles on the side and a blueish green latch on the front. The edge of the basket is decorated in…

Fancy Basket, c. 1900, Ash Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum This is a small, purely decorative, fancy basket. The main structure of the basket is tightly woven with light colored ash splints. The even sized and very smooth…