Oval sweetgrass basket with seven sets of pine knots (called "love knots") which are visible only from the outside; basket is accented with rows of pine needle; also contains bulrush; sewn with palmetto leaf; bottom reads "Anne Scott 2006."
The Avery Sweetgrass Basket Collection holds significant modern examples of a centuries-old craft. Following African traditions, baskets of coiled grasses were originally produced by slaves on Lowcountry plantations for agricultural use. Over time, sweetgrass baskets have become artistic expressions that retain the African aesthetic -- a symbol of African American culture and a signature of the Lowcountry region. Alongside the baskets, the Avery Research Center has gathered visual and oral histories of the modern basketmakers and their families.
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