Vintage Willow Basket Gods Eye Design

This authentically Depression-era large willow basket was hand woven by a thrifty woman in the 1920s. Found in the Appalachian state of Kentucky, the basket has a sturdy, skinned willow rod handle, attached on each side with a loose God's Eye design. The wrapped rim is a bent willow rod as are the ten spokes. The hand cut weavers are narrow strips of willow that vary in width.

The basket is lined with a piece of cloth sewn onto the weavers on the inside of the rim and seamed at the bottom of the basket. The fabric is also Depression-era and was salvaged from a piece of lady's clothing that was beyond repair. It has two pockets that were machine stitched, store bought to begin with. This make-do lining exemplifies the thriftiness that was demanded during the Great Depression, when poverty was all too often the norm. "Use it up, wear it out, make do, do without" was the mantra of those years. "Make-do's" are very collectible and have a book all their own (shown) titled "They Made Do" by Jill Peterson.

The basket is round at the top, measuring 11 1/2 inches across each way. Including the handle it is 11 1/2 inches in height and 8 inches tall without it and the weighs 1 pound 2 ounces. The color of the willow has aged to a warm brown and is just beautiful.

This was a hard-working basket, probably used daily to harvest fruit and vegetables and gather eggs. It was very soiled when we found it, but it cleaned up nicely. Given its age and use, it has survived in exceptional condition, with no breaks in the willow and no tears in the fabric. It's a bit unevenly woven so it tilts toward the front (see our last photo) which displays the liner nicely. It's one of the best authentic American handmade baskets we've offered for sale.

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PYH 5511