Visitors to the Wabanaki encampments on Mount Desert Island could purchase baskets in a myriad of shapes, sizes and forms. Here is a selection of late 19th and early 20th century Wabanaki baskets that Rusticators may have encountered in the sales tents of the encampments.
Birch bark has been an essential material for the Wabanaki for generations, used to create everything from canoes to shelter. With the growing market for Native crafts exemplified by the Bar Harbor encampments, Wabanaki birch bark artisans developed new forms and decorative styles to appeal to buyers. Depictions of Wabanaki life and stories, along with scenes from the natural world, were popular at the turn of the century.
Collar Box with Collars
Passamaquoddy
Late 19th century
Birch bark, spruce root, sweetgrass, linen
