Vessel No. 27

Copied Lee Sipe, Vessel No. 27, 1990, pine needles and raffia, 32 × 13 × 13 in. (81.3 × 33.0 × 33.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Decorative Arts and Crafts Endowment, 2024.17, © 1990, Lee Sipe

Artwork Details

Title
Vessel No. 27
Artist
Date
1990
Location
Dimensions
32 × 13 × 13 in. (81.3 × 33.0 × 33.0 cm)
Copyright
© 1990, Lee Sipe
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Decorative Arts and Crafts Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
pine needles and raffia
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — other — container
Object Number
2024.17
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2024.17

Artwork Description

Lee Sipe found her way to basketmaking through a course on pine-needle basketry, a thriving tradition in South Carolina. She has entered her inventive woven vessels and sculptures into the professional division of the South Carolina State Fair fine arts juried exhibition for several years.

Sipe combines pine needles gathered from her yard in Columbia, South Carolina, with raffia stitchwork to create intricate, gestural patterns. Born in South Korea, she draws on her knowledge of Korean ceramics to mimic the shape of large functional storage jars, using unconventional materials.

State Fairs: Growing American Craft, 2025-26