EARLY 20TH C NAT AM MICMAC ASH/SWEET GRASS PORCUPINE BASKET PENOBSCOT BAY, MAINE

Description

OUTSTANDING EARLY 20TH CENTURY
NATIVE AMERICAN
MICMAC
SPLINT ASH/SWEET
GRASS SEWING/FRUIT HAND-
WOVEN
'PORCUPINE'
BASKET,
featuring
HAND CARVED SPLINT WOOD SIDE LIFTING/CARRYING HANDLES,
PASSAMAQUODDY, PENOBSCOT BAY
REGION, MAINE, MADE
by
EASTERN
WOODLAND INDIGENOUS TRIBES
of
NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND
Circa 1935-1955
Native American
New England eastern
woodland tribe antique handmade decorative
baskets
DIMENSIONS:
10" Width x 5
3⁄8" full Height (including handles)
x
4
½
" Height
x 6 ½" base Width
Weight:
5.4 oz.
TRIBAL AFFILIATION:
The
Mi'kmaq
(Micmac) Penobscot, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy
eastern woodland indigenous tribes
of
north-central
coastal Maine
DESCRIPTION:
This wonderful
early 20th century
Native
Ame
ri
can
hand-woven, open-top porcupine footed fruit/gathering basket,
featuring hand carved splint ash wooden side lifting/carrying handles, is fashioned out of splint ash wood and woven sweet grass sidewalls. It's estate fresh and new to the marketplace. It was produced by the
eastern woodland tribe,
the
Micmac
people from the
Penobscot Bay, Maine
region. The basket was recently discovered and found in an estate in southern
New Hampshire.
The bottom of the basket, as well as the woven sidewalls are all completely intact and don't suffer from any even minimal breaks and/or loss. The basket remains in extraordinary, extremely well-preserved condition and is nearly pristine and close to how it was originally constituted. The
looped, sweetgrass 'porcupine' quills
on the sidewalls are virtually damage free, as are the quills on the bottom, which act as feet for the basket, suspending it seemingly up in the air over the surface of a table or countertop. This
early 20th century
Native
Ame
ri
can
Micmac
hand-woven sewing/fruit basket,
is still in excellent overall antique condition. It still features its original patina and naturally aged, dry surfaces. The sidewalls are punctuated with twisted, protruding highs (raised cleats) of the woven sweet grass. Great original color, naturally aged patina and original, dry surfaces, make this
Micmac
Native
Ame
ri
can
antique basket an especially handsome one. The inside of the basket is clean, without any depreciating stains or loss. There are perhaps two tiny white specks of what appears to possibly be white paint on the outside of the rim and a black speck on one of its woven sweetgrass sidewalls. This minimal damage is all that prevents me from describing the basket as nearly mint, which would of course be almost impossible, for a now
90 to 120 year-old
antique basket to be.  Structurally sound and intact, with no twisted quill loss, fractures or mends in either side handle. There are no repairs (old or new) anywhere on the basket. An extraordinary antique
Native
Ame
ri
can
cultural artifact from the
northeastern woodland tribes
of north-central,
coastal
Maine.
Top shelf. As close to being perfect as any antique basket could ever hope to be. Absolutely wonderful.
Made by
Native,
indigenous hands.
Magnificent.
CONDITION:
Very Good to Excellent overall vintage condition.