Tribe of Baskets

Ed Rossbach, Tribe of Baskets, 1970, polyethylene, 5 ³⁄₄ x 5 ⁷⁄₈ x 6 in. (14.7 x 15.0 x 15.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1992.46D

Artwork Details

Title: Tribe of Baskets
Artist: Ed Rossbach
Date: 1970
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 5 ³⁄₄ x 5 ⁷⁄₈ x 6 in. (14.7 x 15.0 x 15.3 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: polyethylene
Mediums Description: polyethylene
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Object Number: 1992.46D
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.46D

Artwork Description

Ed Rossbach taught himself the technique of “plaiting,” or interweaving, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He used this method to create wall hangings and baskets out of a wide variety of natural grasses and palm leaves, as well as from plastic tubing, as here in Tribe of Baskets. The artist created similar groups of baskets out of diagonally plaited cotton or foil. The title of this piece refers to the familial grouping of pieces, but may also have been Rossbach’s way of poking fun at the “serious” artists who insisted on keeping indigenous Native American basketmaking traditions at the forefront.