Western Carolina University WCU University of North Carolina Asheville UNCA

Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all
University of North Carolina Asheville (6) View all
Craft Revival Back to search results
WCU - Craft Revival

Basket: honeysuckle, storage

  • wcu_craft_revival-6030.jpg
Copyright Download
  • This undated basket was made by Cherokee basket weaver Lucy George. The basket is honeysuckle woven over white oak splints. The basket shape begins with a round base and was woven upward and outward. Traditionally, storage baskets were made to store domestic goods, from dry foodstuffs to clothing. The natural aeration of the weave allows the stored goods to remain dry. Beginning in the 20th century, open baskets such as these were sold as wastebaskets to the tourist market. The honeysuckle in this basket was not dyed and, instead, is the natural color of the honeysuckle vine. Lucy Nola George 1897-1978) was raised in the Birdtown community on the Qualla Boundary. In a departure from traditional Cherokee ways of learning, Lucy George did not learn basket making from mother. In the 1930s, as a grown woman, she learned the craft from Julia Taylor. She developed her own methods, weaving baskets from honeysuckle. She also taught others and demonstrated her craft.

Part of Collection

Craft Revival

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mountain craftsmen formed the cornerstone of a revived interest in things handmade to create a movement known as the Craft Revival. During the Revival...

View collection Read introduction
panzoom image
wcu_craft_revival-6030.jpg