Large Antique Painted Ash Splint Work Basket with Notched Bentwood Handles mottled blue blue sleeve

blue sleeve

)--took the trouble to drill holes through the wood in order to stitch through its little pink nose and those great button eyes

I think this sweet thing is all about its history

Mola panels were historically made in groups of two

Large Antique Painted Ash Splint Work Basket with Notched Bentwood Handles mottled blue blue sleeveThis is a beautiful large painted swabbed antique ash splint rectangular work basket, 19th century New England Maine Native American I believe, with wonderfully irregular notched bentwood handles. While the naturally dyed color has certainly faded over time, it still shows quite nicely on the horizontal splints; with two thin bands of yellow, then two red, then two brown, then one wide yellow, and two thin red at the very bottom. The basket is sturdy