Useful Tools and Works of Art

Barbara Thompson

“My interest in baskets was sparked while traveling in Charleston, SC, strolling through the City Market and encountering women sitting and making sweet grass baskets. Beautiful baskets of many sizes and descriptions surrounded them. Choosing one to purchase was the most difficult. While traveling along Highway 17, I saw more women sitting in their yards weaving. Eager to learn more about the process, we stopped to talk. I knew that in the past, men gathered the sweet grass that grew in the area while most of the weavers were women, and their mothers and grandmothers taught the technique. Basket making is still an inextricable part of their culture, Gullah Geechee, descendants of enslaved Africans in the low country. When asked how long it takes to make a basket, the answer was, ‘It takes a generation.’

Baskets can be found wherever you go in the world. Basketry is one of the widest-spread crafts in human history. If you wonder why many baskets look similar, there are four basketmaking techniques: weaving, coiling, twining, and plaiting. Usually made of natural materials from the environment, baskets are used to carry objects dating back to the earliest times. They come in all sizes, can carry heavy weights, and some are woven so tight they can hold water. While valued for useful features, their intricate patterns, designs, colors, and use of materials must be appreciated as cultural works of art.”

The picture shows Sweet Grass, Zulu, Wire Belizean, Alaskan Native, Navajo, Brazilian, Ghanaian, and others.

Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art is organized and toured by International Arts & Artists.