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Med 4
Med 4
Med 4
Med 4
Med 4

Med 4" NATURAL RND BASKET w/wart & slant curls -Kenny Keezer, Clara Keezer's son

$ 72.73

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Modified Item: No
  • Native American Age: Now - CURRENT
  • Artisan: Kenny Keezer, Passamaquoddy
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
  • Region or Culture: NE Native American
  • Culture: Native American: US
  • Restocking Fee: No
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days
  • Original or Reproduction: Original
  • Handmade: Yes
  • Condition: New
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Exact Type: ash Splint Basket w/sweetgrass
  • Product Type: baskets
  • Tribal Affiliation: passamaquoddy
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted

    Description

    This medium (4" diameter) round ash and tidal sweetgrass basket is by Kenny Keezer, Passamaquoddy.  The basket's sides of natural ash have 2 rows of slant curls at the top of the basket and a row "wart" curls at the bottom.  The lid has a decorative bow handle, a signature style of the Keezer family.  The center top of the lid is woven with tidal sweetgrass and then there is a row of slant curls at the center, rest of lid is woven w/natural ash splints.
    The lid has a decorative bow handle, a signature style of the Keezer family.
    Kenny Keezer is the youngest son of much honored Clara Neptune Keezer (1930-2016), Passamaquoddy basket maker who was a winner of a NEA 2002 Heritage Fellowship award for her basketry work.  Kenny learned basketry from his mother and incorporates many of her signature styles into his work.
    The basket is 4" in diameter (Kenny makes 2", 2.25", 2.5"and 3" diameter small round baskets)  and it is 3" tall - (including 1/4" bow handle).  Clara almost always placed a sweetgrass braid between the inner rims of her baskets.  Kenny does this as well.  You can see this in the photo of the basket open with the lid resting upright on the top.
    Among many honors, Clara Neptune Keezer was given the NEA Heritage Fellowship award. -  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 splints, the traditional material of Maine and Eastern Canadian Wabanaki basketmakers and also incorporates plain tidal sweetgrass to weave inner portion of the lid and to wrap the rim of the basket lid.    Tidal sweet grass grows on tidal marshes within view of the Keezer home in the most Northeastern corner of this country... The land and people of the dawn- The Passamaquoddy reserve near Eastport Maine where the dawn hits this country first. The grass here has been picked, dried, combed and braided by Kenny.
    Last photo is of Kenny (in orange shirt), his brother Rocky and mother, Clara..... photo taken on one of my visits to their home.  This one was taken about 5 years prior to Clara's passing.