Tool (for needlework) (Sewing basket)

Description

This round handled sewing basket was likely made in Maine by a unidentified artist from the Wabanaki Confederacy in the early years of the twentieth century. The basket is made from black ash splints and twisted and braided sweetgrass. The lid and base are connected with a wooden hinge, and the owner and user would have easily been able to cary any projects with them. The basket contains some cotton wrapped cord, orange and white embroidery floss, and an unfinished tape lace project. Indigenous communities made baskets like this one for the developing mass tourism market. They were often sold at train stations, hotels, and resorts as souvenirs.