Saturday, April 24, 2010
RANDOM 341 OBJECT
ESTATE Antique MAINE INDIAN – LIDDED SEWING BASKET 1920-$46
It’s easy to get a 90-year-old Native American basket to mellow and stay in fine condition like this one has. All you have to do is buy it from the weaver back in the 1920s, protect it during the thousand mile automobile road trip back home to Indiana, then don’t use it or even touch it but rarely for ninety years. Piece of cake!
That’s the case with this one. I believe it is Micmac – possibly Passamaquoddy. I’ll leave that determination to the real basketry pros.
You probably noticed the accumulation of dust and cobwebs inside the bow in my first big picture. That’s exactly as it was when I found it. A soft brush will clean it up nicely. This family had some of the nicest things. I was lucky to have the opportunity to buy a few choice pieces.
It is made of natural and dyed ash as well as beautifully braided sweetgrass. The size is also important. It is 5 ½” in diameter and 3 ½” tall not counting the bow. Sweetest little thing you’ve ever seen.
Imagine the time involved with the braiding, weaving and lacing.
It would have to be someone very special to you, but I really must point out that it is most certainly in “gift-giving” condition. NO DISAPPOINTMENTS.
RANDOM ESTATE SALE BLOGGING
on the north east side near downtown. much gentrification, but still not the greatest neighborhood. 1900ish big house that is gonna be rehabbed and much for sale. well, on arrival, the brick and beam driveway was very unusual. looks like they recycled street pavers and cobble stones that used to be used. where i grew up on 39th, the streets used to be red brick pavers. my grandpa recycled them up north. i have taken cobblestones myself.
so, go in the backdoor. wide, but needs help. oy, the kitchen/dinning area quite trashed, but oooooooh, the old wood/gas stove. not much, but for $2, i will buy the old western jug. there was a sort of office room. and bedrooms upstairs, but thefront/livingroom. the fireplace was original. white BLEGH. from looking at the pics. i think major 'pimping' done. the cornice on the fireplace wall looks like it was pulled out so they cold add lighting. and the mid century mirror. the guy was a woodworer, so i think he dded quite a bit to the livingroom. like the double frenchdoors. milwaukee is more an archway kind of town.
i mentioned doorknobs and a woman there said some in the basement. the door to that was thru the bathroom(i have seen this before, weird). old clawfoot tub.
tons of big tools + wood, a huge metal storage shelf w/ drawers and and and a headstone? mom + dad? miss spelt something? awesome doorstop tho. another entrance to the basement.
i also grabbed an old recipe book.
after, went to another sale.
