Basket #81

Marion Hildebrandt, Basket #81, 1993, ash, paper with madrone bark, wire, paint, stain, and thread, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Theodore Cohen in memory of his mother and her sisters: Rose Melmon Cohen, Blanche Melmon, Mary Melmon Greenberg and Fanny Melmon Liberman, 1998.122.13
Copied Marion Hildebrandt, Basket #81, 1993, ash, paper with madrone bark, wire, paint, stain, and thread, 8 588 34 in. (21.922.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Theodore Cohen in memory of his mother and her sisters: Rose Melmon Cohen, Blanche Melmon, Mary Melmon Greenberg and Fanny Melmon Liberman, 1998.122.13

Artwork Details

Title
Basket #81
Date
1993
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
8 588 34 in. (21.922.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Theodore Cohen in memory of his mother and her sisters: Rose Melmon Cohen, Blanche Melmon, Mary Melmon Greenberg and Fanny Melmon Liberman
Mediums Description
ash, paper with madrone bark, wire, paint, stain, and thread
Classifications
Object Number
1998.122.13

Artwork Description

The body of this basket, which has been built up out of handmade paper on a wire armature, has an organic and delicate appearance. Marion Hildebrandt supported the basket by attaching at the top a thin wooden band held in place by wire and small sticks. The contrast between the mottled body of the vessel and the smooth superstructure evokes the cliff dwellings of the Southwest rising up out of the rock, while the reinforcing clasps around the top suggest a circle of Native American dancers.