Description

This small mat was made by Cherokee basket weaver Lucy George. Its woven warp and weft are both honeysuckle. The honeysuckle was woven with dyed honeysuckle to produce the colored bands that run in concentric circles around the mat. Walnut was used to produce the brown color, bloodroot made the orange, and yellowroot made the brighter yellow. All three plants, used by Cherokee basket weavers to make dye, are native to the region. Lucy Nola George 1897-1978) was raised in the Birdtown community on the Qualla Boundary. In a departure from traditional Cherokee ways of learning, Lucy George did not learn basket making from mother. In the 1930s, as a grown woman, she learned the craft from Julia Taylor. She developed her own methods, weaving baskets from honeysuckle. She also taught others and demonstrated her craft.

Record Contributed By

Western Carolina University

Record Harvested From

North Carolina Digital Heritage Center