Name/Title
Sweetgrass Sewing BasketEntry/Object ID
L2024.3.104a-eDescription
a & b: woven ash splint and sweetgrass round basket with lid. Varying width ash weavers and sweetgrass bundles. Lid has a raised, looped design (cowiss) and small ring handle.
c: Pin Cushion of velvet with woven ash splint base
d: Woven sweetgrass scissor case
e: Woven sweetgrass Needle case (etui)Context
This is a very rare piece, there are hundreds of baskets like this all over Vermont in antique shops, never with any good provenance. They could be made by Akwesasne Mohawks, Canadian Abenakis or Maine Indians, we will probably never know until a comprehensive stylistic research project can delimit tribal origins. This may not be possible. This basket was purchased from “a Local Indian family” (presumably the Lapans) by Mrs. Bell of Swanton Vermont in the early 20th century. All other Swanton-made baskets are coarse utility baskets or open work baskets without any Sweetgrass interweaving like this one. The basket depth and cowiss over weave decoration are atypical of Quebec Abenaki production. This was from the collection of Swanton Historian Ben Gravel who received the basket during the 1959 Champlain celebration.Acquisition
Source (if not Accessioned)
Abenaki Cultural ConservancyMade/Created
Date made
circa 1900Place
Town
SwantonCounty
Franklin CountyState/Province
VermontCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Basket, NeedleworkNomenclature Primary Object Term
Container, NeedleworkNomenclature Sub-Class
Needleworking EquipmentNomenclature Class
Textileworking T&ENomenclature Category
Category 04: Tools & Equipment for MaterialsMaterial
Ash Splint, SweetgrassRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gravel, Benjamin Frederick (1895-1988)