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This small basket is made of long-leaf pine needles and raffia, with brown primary fibers and white, orange, and purple secondary fibers. Constructed in a coiled method with a flattened base, it is attributed to Sylestine, who is likely the basket maker Rosabel Sylestine (1923-1998).
Koasati (Coushatta) people living in the Southeastern United States have woven baskets for centuries, using locally available resources such as white oak, swamp cane, and sedge grass. Beginning in the 20th century, their basket makers began using long-leaf pine needles as their primary materials when other types of fibers became more difficult to acquire. The pine needle baskets are woven when the humidity is high and the Pinus palustris needles are more flexible.
This basket is part of the Kleweno Collection, donated to the Maxwell Museum in 2017 by Walter and Allene Kleweno, who purchased the basket in the 1980s near Livingston, Texas.
Additional Resources:
http://www.koasatiheritage.org/blog/2013/jun/19/baskets/
Catalog #: 2017.20.16
Culture: Koasati (Coushatta)
Artist: Sylestine
Origin: Texas
Date: ca. 1980s
Collection: Ethnology
By: Lauren Fuka
