Market Basket

Elizabeth Colwell, the daughter of George and Sarah Shogonosh, showed Jones how she made a type of black ash basket that she called a "market basket." It was a large rectangular basket with decorations created with twisted splints that were dyed with commercial dyes. 

Mrs. Colwell started by creating the herringbone pattern on the bottom of the basket. She wove splints so that the weft ran over two and then under two, shifting over one splint each time a new horizontal was added. After carefully tightening the s[lints, Mrs. Colewell flipped over the section she had woven and folded up the unwoven sections of the splints at each side to form the ribs for the side of the basket. A simple over-under weave of thin splints was used to create the sides of the basket.  Mrs. Colwell added decorative wide purple splints (now faded) by tucking and twisting them under the horizontal splints. The rim and basket handle, which were made of hickory, were lashed on as the final step. While weaving, Mrs. Colwell continually sprinkle her work with water in order to keep the splints pliable.