Small Split Basket

Unknown artist

Splint basket, likely black ash. Missing one handle. Remaining handle is a gentle curved shape and moves up and down slightly. Weavers are fairly uniform in size and smaller than the stakes. Two weavers in the middle/lower part of the basket are darker than the rest [blue or black dye] throughout the course of the basket. The other weavers may be dyed a lighter color [Spanish brown?], but are faded. There is one lighter weaver in between the two dark ones, creating a small striped pattern. Sarah Peabody Turnbaugh, MS and William A. Turnbaugh, PhD Assessment on 2/7/20: "A less readily attributed woodsplint basket (not necessarily ash--it appears somewhat different in the images) with one handle remaining. It looks possibly small enough that Bill suggests it may have been attached as an insert in another splint basket (like a sewing basket)--is it actually only several inches long? Or, might it have had another handle on the opposite side from its present one, with a likely general household function? This is a northern Northeastern Woodlands form, probably late 19th-early 20th century, but not more closely attributable at the moment as its apparent diagnostic features are too general." Sources consulted (January-February 2020 by Kate Petterson): 1. Sarah Peabody Turnbaugh, MS and William A. Turnbaugh, PhD at University of Rhode Island. Consulted by sending images to them via email. They are experts on baskets and contributed to some of the books listed below. 2. A Key into the Language of Woodsplint Baskets (1987) by Handman and McMullen 3. Basketmakers: Meaning and Form in Native American Baskets (1992) ed. Mowat, MOrphy, and Dransart 4. The Baskets of Rural America (1975) by Gloria Teleki 5. Eastern Algonkian Block-stamp Decoration: A New World Original or an Acculturated Art (1947) by Frank Speck [Lindsey Mulgrew's description on 7/1/13: Basket. Splint basket, likely black ash. Used to store cheese, most likely not a miniature basket as stated on the exhibit label. Handle on one of the shorter ends- the other was broken off and is not included, weavers and fillers cracking along the bend at the bottom- stakes fraying but appear to all be intact except for one, splints stained before weaving- two weavers stained darker for two decorative bands. Exhibit label states that this is a Wampanoag basket. Item on exhibit and not removed for inspection. Black and white photographs in accession file.] [On 1.29.14 David White catalogued this object for a second time under a different accession number: 1809.226.1 and called it "Basket, Trinket, 'Wampanoag Basket'". The description was: "Small woven basket made of dark wood. Basket features one small looped handle on the end, top. Accompanying information describes basket as 'miniature version of large carrying or storage basket.' Dimensions are approx. due to object's location behind glass case."] *Kate Petterson merged duplicate record into this record on 3/5/20.*