Western Carolina University WCU University of North Carolina Asheville UNCA

Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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WCU - Craft Revival

Basket: white oak, storage

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  • This undyed white oak storage basket was made by Emma Taylor. The basket's date is unknown. Its base is slightly rectangular and tapers to a circular top. The white oak splits were not dyed leaving the basket its natural color. Emma Squirrel Taylor (1920-2002) was a master basket weaver whose specialty was white oak baskets. She was raised in the Birdtown community on the Qualla Boundary, lands owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She learned how to make baskets in 1927 and produced them for more than half a century. In 1952 Taylor joined Qualla Arts and Craft Mutual, a Cherokee artisan cooperative.

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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...

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