221 Lisway Chase Weave Basket

Description

This basket is made with a type of weaving called a “chase weave”, because each row of weavers is followed immediately (chased) by a row of twining, giving the basket an overall vertical pattern. The base and spokes are made with strips of Redbud. Eastern Red Cedar makes up the weavers. The twining rows are of Rattlesnake Master leaves, a tall grass prairie plant that was once very common in Missouri. The rim is finished with a technique commonly used among the Northwestern coastal Indians, called a Swinomish fold. The dangle uses a central seed bead from the tropical rainforest, a Sibucau seed, with antique glass trade beads, as well as horn and seed beads. At the ends of the dangle are three Lisway shells. All the woven materials for this basket were gathered and prepared entirely by hand, from the standing trees and plants to the finished basket.