Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Basket: white oak, planter

  • wcu_craft_revival-6224.jpg
  • This undated photograph was made by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and shows a white oak planter basket that was made by Carol Welch. This basket utilizes techniques and patterns usually associated with rivercane, and the pattern is called the Chief’s Daughter. Carol Smith Welch was the daughter of Helen Bradley Smith, an accomplished Cherokee basket weaver. Her aunt, Eva Bradley, was also a basket weaver. Born in 1940, Welch learned to weave white oak baskets by watching her mother and later learned to weave rivercane and honeysuckle baskets from Lottie Stamper in school basketry classes. While at school, she also learned the double weave method of making rivercane baskets and, later, became Lottie Stamper’s assistant. Her husband, Davis Welch, is a master mask maker. Welch lives in the Big Cove Community of the Qualla Indian Boundary, North Carolina.