Wastebasket

Marian John, Wastebasket, ca. 1975, longleaf pine needles and raffia, 11 ⁷⁄₈ x 9 ³⁄₈ in. (30.2 x 23.8 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.140

Artwork Details

Title: Wastebasket
Artist: Marian John
Date: ca. 1975
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
/
4th Floor
/
54B
Dimensions: 11 ⁷⁄₈ x 9 ³⁄₈ in. (30.2 x 23.8 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Mediums: raffia
needles
Mediums Description: longleaf pine needles and raffia
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Object Number: 1975.140
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1975.140

Artwork Description

Marian John, a member of the Coushatta tribe of Louisiana, fashioned this basket from longleaf pine needles (native to the state) and raffia. The Coushatta have woven baskets for centuries. The earliest baskets were used either as trade goods or as containers to transport food. To create her pieces, John dries the pine needles for three months to ensure all the moisture is out. She then wraps the needles with raffia and, using only a sewing needle, creates the stitch design. Wastebasket was featured in the Renwick Gallery exhibition Craft Multiples in 1975, which highlighted the work of production craftsmen who created utilitarian objects in multiples of ten or more.