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Accessibility:
Call No:
  • 1842.2.1
Title:
  • Basket, Narraganset
Description:
  • Small basket hand woven of basswood bast, corn husk and red wool in an overall geometric pattern. The vertical warp is made of basswood bast made of the inner tree bark, the horizontal weft threads are made of twisted double strands of corn huskes interwoven with red wool. The pattern is of two bands of zigzags and diagonals with serrated edges and striped borders with pairs of dots.
Date(s):
  • ca. 1675;
Collection Type:
Object Type:
Material(s):
  • wood, basswood
  • Husk, corn
  • fibre, wool
Medium(s):
  • Woven, hand
Subjects:
Research Notes:
  • Transcription of note that accompanied the basket at the time of donation: The little basket, was given by a squaw, a native of the forest to Dinah Fenner, wife of Major Thomas Fenner, who fought in Churche's Wars; then living in a garrison in Providence, now Cranston, R.I. The squaw went into the garrison; Mrs. Fenner gave her some milk to drink, she went out by the side of a river, peeled the inner bark from the Wickup tree, sat down, under the tree, drew the shreds out of her blanket, mingled them with the bark, wrought this little basket, took it to the garrison and presented it to Mrs. Fenner. Mrs. Fenner gave it to her daughter Freelove, wife of Samuel Westcoat, Mrs. Westcoat gave it to her granddaughter Wait Field , Wife of William Field, at Field's Point, Mrs. Field gave it to her daughter Sarah, Sarah left it with her sister Elinor who now presents it to the Historical Society of Rhode Island. Field's Point, September, 1842
Provenance:
Image ID Numbers:
  • https://RIHS.MINISISINC.COM/RIHS_IMAGE/RHiX4195w.jpg
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