Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Basket: white oak, market

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  • This undated white oak basket was made by Cherokee basket weaver Minda Hill Sequoyah Wolfe (1897-1983). Large baskets of this shape and size were traditionally used to transport agricultural products, to gather vegetables from the field or garden or to take dry foodstuffs to market. The handle is woven into and beneath the basket to give it strength, allowing its user to carry heavy load. Wolfe's basket is dyed with walnut and bloodroot to achieve the brown and orange colors that are woven into the basket. With such fine decoration, it was more likely made to be taken shopping, rather than used in a garden. The basket is rib construction. Wolfe was part an active basket weaving family. Her sister, Alice Sequoyah Walkingstick demonstrated basketry at the Oconaluftee Indian Village. Wolfe taught five daughters to weave: Dinah Wolfe, Lillian Crowe, Annie James, Katie Panther, and Ollie Crowe.