Baskets and baskets but not all the same

I got these as a lot along with a Papago basket (and a few others I've tossed). I've started trying to figure out what they are or at least where they might be from but I'm unsure so hope someone will weigh in.

1. maybe African with leather
2. butt basket - no idea of origin
3. small covered - no idea of origin
4. Gullah sweetgrass?
5. geometric - Mexican?

1 tall with leather, maybe African?



2 Butt basket


3 small


4 Gullah sweetgrass?


5 no idea Mexican, African?

 

My Mom had some of similar construction to your #4, although difference shape. I think she had bought them in either Charleston or Savannah.

 

The last one looks West African to me, probably a tourist piece. The first one is African too, no clue from where.

 

OOO great! So Charleston or Savannah would make Gullah a possibility and African would fit with my gut instinct on the other two (or maybe that's turkey and stuffing I'm feeling). Thanks for the thoughts!

 

The Buttocks Basket is made of white oak splints.....& may be Cherokee..from the Appalachian region.

 

Great I'll check that out. I'm in Virginia so not so far geographically and while whoever collected these baskets had far reaching interest, they did have at least two NA baskets offered at this local auction. I only got the Papago and I'm kicking myself for letting the other get away. I love baskets but am very un-educated in that regard.

 

if you really love baskets...
American Baskets by Shaw
Art of the Basket by Sentance
Indian Baskets by Turnbaugh & Turnbaugh

Those 3 books alone will be enough to make you feel like an expert.....but more than that....show you what you like and why you like.... & things to know and look for so you don't end up buying baskets that you don't want....but looked kinda similar to what you do want !

Plus....my credo..." a broken basket...will always be a broken basket!"

 

Thanks for the recommendations, I always appreciated a good book or two.

 

I'd agree, anyone who expects to start collecting or buying baskets for resale, should first buy a couple books. And Art of the Basket would be on the top of my list.

While Turnbaugh and Turnbaugh's book is widely used, and good in many respects, you need to be aware that it does contain some errors (which makes it easy to see what reference eBay sellers are using, when one of those baskets ends up misidentified in their listings!)

I haven't seen any recent reprints, so perhaps the mistakes have been corrected, but there are a lot of copies out there that show a western Oregon Grand Ronde basket incorrectly identified as "Washo bowl, Great Basin" (page 52); a Gullah sweetgrass basket labeled "Labrador Eskimo" (page 25); and a Romblon Island basket from the Philippines misidentified as "Alaskan Eskimo...attributed to the Alaskan Eskimo living along the Yukon River," (page 25).

 

I would hesitate to call the splint basket an Indian basket. While it is possible there are some Cherokee basket makers making these today, it is not a traditional Indian basket form. So without knowing the maker's name, it can't be identified as such.

In the U.S., it originated in the Appalachians, as an "egg basket," and was widely used, and made by, the early white settlers. Today it is a form made by contemporary basket makers all over the country. Most books on basket making contain directions, and it is generally considered an indication of the weaver's skill if he or she can successfully make a good looking egg (also called a buttocks) basket.

 

Yes, there are a few mistakes ( in my old copy..) but at 250 pages...with hundreds of photo's, I think the good outweighs the bad...............by a light year !

 

I said very clearly MAY be Cherokee...
The dark insert surrounding the cows eye is a known Cherokee design and their basket rims end in a plain wrap while the non native Buttocks baskets tend to have an extra rim weave surmounting the rim.
Still since i wasn't present when it was being made I'll allow for the fact that I can't be 100% courtroom positive of whom exactly made it.

 

& all 3...are GOOD books,,,

 

Beautiful basket!

Thanks for all the help and guidance from everyone! This local auction had many pieces including some from an obvious collector of studio pottery and then there were some baskets that also looked "collected" instead of just misc. storage (at least to my eye). I knew the Papago basket because I have one my parents gave me years ago (and it turns out it still had a tag) and one very interesting basket that I'm pretty sure was NA but at least a great basket but it was obviously desired by a dealer in the room so I let it go. I can't buy everything I'd like to have. The rest no one wanted so I got them as a lot.

I love the opportunity to learn and I'm going to invest in books to get me going down that path and knowing to watch for errors will keep me verifying but having a starting place is so helpful. I have tried looking at sites online but it's a slog.

I do sell some things online but I don't know if I'd venture into baskets but then again I sell things I'm not overly familiar with all the time with caveats. I occasionally do a nice flea market and that might be the place if I decide to sell. It's great when people can touch things and you can chat about what it might or might not be. A lot of buyers at this market are very very savvy!

This is one of the baskets I was going to toss as one of the back straps(?) is broken. Am I wrong?

 

It's a nice basket.
I don't know where it's from.

 

I wouldn't toss it. This is a plaited pandanus basket from the South Pacific, most likely Samoa, but possibly Tonga. It looks like it's in good shape, even if a cord is broken. They make great storage boxes, and someone would probably really like it for that reason, especially if they collect Hawaiiana or other South Seas items.

 

Glad I pulled it from the discard pile then. It has ¼" or so of dust on it so it will look better without that I'm sure. Thanks for all the help!

 

I learned a little here. I didn't know there was a such thing as a butt basket. Is it named for its suggestive shape on the *bottom? Thank you and I enjoyed looking at the others as well.

I've had this one for a long time. Wouldn't consider myself a basket guy, but I can appreciate the craftsmanship. I don't weave, but I do knit. Well, I do Viking knit but that is with wire. Nothing feminine, haha. Any ideas? I've always like the curved handles and load bearing supports. Looks like you could carry some heavy stuff in it.

 

Yes Buttocks baskets derive their name from their curved form.
I have no knowledge of your basket.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the book recommendations. The Art of the Basket arrived today and it will definitely get me started. So thank you!