Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Sinclair, Clayton, American
Sinclair, Hazel, American
Subject of
Rock Rest Tourist Home, American, 1948 - 1976
Date
mid 20th century
Medium
pigment on raffia
Dimensions
H x W x D (9ab): 4 3/4 × 9 5/8 × 9 3/16 in. (12 × 24.5 × 23.3 cm)
H x W x D (9a): 4 5/16 × 9 5/8 × 9 3/16 in. (11 × 24.5 × 23.3 cm)
H x W x D (9b): 1 1/8 × 7 13/16 × 8 in. (2.8 × 19.8 × 20.3 cm)
Description
A coiled woven, round sewing basket (2011.12.9.1a) with a matching lid (2011.12.9.1b) from the Rock Rest Tourist Home. Both the basket and lid are primarily comprised of natural-colored fibers. The rounded, bowl-shaped basket is adorned with red, green, and black dyed fibers that are woven into repeating, stepped, zig-zag patterns throughout the main body of the bowl. The rim of the basket is wrapped with partially frayed red dyed fibers. One end of the rim end crosses over the other end and the protruding loose reeds splay over the front of the basket. The red fiber wrapped around the fibers of the basket rim at this end has significantly frayed and unraveled towards the loose end. The lid is flat and round and features repeating, stepped, zig-zag patterns throughout the top surface of the lid. The rim features three, stacked, woven coils which are the same diameter as the basket opening. The bottom coil fits snugly inside the basket and the top coil is slightly raised for lifting the lid. The top coil is wrapped with partially frayed and unraveled red dyed fibers. Three areas of the top coil of the rim have losses where the core of the coil is fully exposed.
Place collected
Kittery, York County, Maine, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
The Rock Rest Tourist Home Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Type
sewing baskets
Topic
Black Enterprise
Black interiors
Business
Craftsmanship
Domestic life
Ornamentation
Recreation
Segregation
Travel
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.
Object number
2011.12.9.1ab
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd574333c0e-57df-48e8-9060-4701afd32863

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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