CLARA KEEZER's 4" Rainbow Basket

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CLARA KEEZER's 4" Rainbow Basket - Signature style

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CLARA KEEZER's 4" Rainbow Basket - Signature style

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Sold Date: 04/11/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

A bit larger rainbow basket than I have had before - and I've never had this color combination. Dark teal, red and dark purple are woven in this basket in a fashion that I have only seen Clara Keezer use. This is one of Clara Keezer's trademark styles.

Clara Keezer, Passamaquoddy basketmaker was a winner of a NEA 2002 Heritage Fellowship award for her basketry work. According to the NEA website, this award is "the country's highest honor in the folk and traditional art" -... and includes all folk arts and crafts including but not limited to - music, dance, performance art and traditional crafts and arts.

This basket is made of brown ash, the traditional material of Maine and Eastern Canadian basketmakers and also incorporates tightly and finely braided tidal sweetgrass as a decorative element on the lid of the basket. This is grass found in the tidal marshes near the Pleasant Point home of the Keezers. The grass harvested in the late summer by Clara's son Rocky, then dried and braided by her sister, Edith Pond - whose sweetgrass braids are among the most perfectly done I have ever found. - It is 4" in diameter, and 3" high. The bow ribbon handle adds another 1/2" to height. This basket has been signed and dated by Clara as shown in the slideshow. . Be sure to view the slideshow to see more pics of this basket

The slideshow also includes a picture of Clara taken last May and a picture of the 3 Keezer basketmakers, Clara and sons Kenny and Rocky taken during my October 2006 "Basketmakers of the Dawn" Tour. While at the Keezers' in October, Clara had many baskets - more than I had seen her make in many years. She has recovered from some of her recent illnesses and learned to manage others. A few years ago she made only 3 or 4 baskets the entire year. It is just wonderful to see her healthy enough to work and make baskets in quantity again.

Would you be interested in meeting Clara, and sons Rocky and Kenny along with many of the best working Maine Indian basketmakers? email me about my spring or fall 2007 "Basketmakers of the Dawn" tours - We will also be visiting Maine museums and viewing private collections of antique Maine/Eastern Canadian baskets.