Old Kentucky Buttocks Egg Gathering Basket HICKORY
Museum quality old Kentucky buttocks egg gathering hand-made basket made entirely by hand with split hickory. Exceptional natural color - no dyes used. The color seen is the authentic natural color or patina this old Kentucky handwoven basket has achieved over the years. From my personal basket collection.
During the 1920's and 1930's, the U.S. Department of the Interior formed several national parks in the eastern United States including Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
The formation of these parks resulted in the relocation of many families. Many of them gave up basket making due to lack of timber and other supplies. By the 1940's, basket making was in decline. Economic and social changes during and following World War II changed traditional work values and family structures. Some families said they gave up their trade because they could make more money on relief and from the W.P.A. (Works Progress Ad-ministration). This was not true of all basket making families.
Several families continued to supplement their income with basket making. Their skills and dedication have brought them well deserved recognition. The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen and the Kentucky Folk Life Program have honored many of them. Their work has been featured in books, magazines, and upscale stores across the United States.
The Mammoth Cave Basket Makers Guild has had central stage with its displays and demonstrations at the Kentucky Arts and Crafts Juried Show in Louisville. Besides the recognition many of them have received, the guild has established a museum and archives of basket making in south central Kentucky.
The Shagbark, (or Shadbark), Hickory Tree, a member of the walnut family, can reach a height around 100 feet (30 meters), at maturity. This stately tree, one of several hickory trees native to Kentucky, has been put to many uses by humans. Native Americans made "hickory milk" from the sweet edible nuts of the tree. The wood of the shagbark hickory has been used to make wheels for carriages and early automobiles.
In modern times, the hickory is used to create a flavoring charcoal to smoke ham, bacon, and other meats; to form tool handles and sporting equipment, including baseball bats; for furniture pieces; and as flooring material. Folks in Kentucky still crack open the nuts and eat the fruit inside as a delicacy.
This old Kentucky buttocks egg gathering basket is in near mint condition! The basket rims were attached to the hickory handle with nails, which are black and quite old. The hickory handle is smooth to the touch on top. Outstanding variegated color in the hickory basketweaving.
This large Kentucky buttocks egg gather basket has 16 hand-carved and tapered hickory ribs, not including the woven over bottom center rib and the basket rims. The original ink stamp stating the origin as Cave City, Kentucky can still be faintly seen on the handle. The basket has a very light finish of old shellac on the handle and both inside and outside the basket.
This old hand-woven Kentucky buttocks egg gathering basket measures 14" x 13", 7" tall to the basket rims and 11.5" tall to the top of the basket handle.
SB670 - Old Kentucky Buttocks Egg Gathering Basket HICKORY
$275.00
