The Coushatta of the American Southeast preserves the cultural memories and the practice of basketry by passing down the knowledge of how to create baskets from generation to generation. The baskets are often created as gifts for loved ones on special occasions such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays. These baskets are considered to be family treasures because of the … [Read more...] about Traditional Native American Baskets: Researched and Conserved by Jessica Winslow
This basketry hat was made by Ina Caraway, a milliner who operated in Springfield, Missouri from 1939 through 1941. Caraway wove this hat from straw, dyed or painted the material purple, and then folded, sewed, and molded it into a bonnet-style hat; she then lined the hat with synthetic cloth and grosgrain ribbon. The finishing touches were a green paper bow covered with … [Read more...] about Women’s Basketry Hat: Researched and Conserved by Emily Hughes
The Maasai people are a nomadic culture in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya; they are livestock herders who rely heavily on cattle both for food and for products such as leather. Basketry is a tradition practiced throughout Africa, and it is likewise practiced by the Maasai. Baskets are used for many purposes, including winnowing and measuring grain and … [Read more...] about Maasai Leather Basket: Researched and Conserved by Sarah Teel
BEFORE CONSERVATION AFTER CONSERVATION The art of the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea revolves heavily around men’s societies and their associated ceremonies and initiations. Sepik River religions involve ancestor worship, and many of the masks produced in this region represent either mythological or ancestral spirits, which are believed to provide aid in warfare … [Read more...] about Turtle Shell Basketry Mask: Researched and Conserved by Marissa Ewing