Circular all-purpose sweetgrass basket with decorative sides; contains alternating rows of pine needle and sweetgrass accented with pine knots; sewn with palmetto leaf; distinctive style is known as the "elephant ear" design.
Salt-glazed border tiles made from kiln-fired red clay, used to line walkways and gardens. Made by slave labor on a plantation near Hickory Hill, South Carolina. Four tiles exist in the collection, two of each shown here.
Thick coiled bulrush basket sewn with palmetto leaf; possibly contains oak splits. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Thick coiled rice fanner made of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Thick coiled basket of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Contains two handles; used as a hamper or a trash basket. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Five dollar Confederate greenback issued on February 17, 1864 and redeemable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. Printed by Evans & Cogswell in Charleston, South Carolina and engraved by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina.
Ten dollar Confederate greenback issued on February 17, 1864 and redeemable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. Printed by Evans & Cogswell in Charleston, South Carolina and engraved by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina.
Five dollar bill issued by the Farmers & Exchange Bank of Charleston and dated September 28, 1853. Bill depicts an African American tending to a wagon pulled by oxen. Engraved by Toppan, Carpenter, Kasilear & Company, Philadelphia and New York.
Coiled decorative sweetgrass wall pocket hanging shaped like a fish with fins and a tail; oval basket attaches to center section. Made of sweetgrass and pine needle sewn with palmetto leaf.
Glass chicken egg used for inducing hens to lay eggs. According to Mrs. Gold, to encourage a hen to lay eggs in a specific place, farmers would often begin making their nests and place the artificial nesting eggs in them with the hope that the hen would complete her nest in that location. This also helped the farmer keep track of which hens were laying eggs and where the eggs were located. The glass eggs remained in the nest until the hen laid and incubated the eggs and the offspring hatched. It was important to maintain this process and promptly remove the artificial egg so that it could be reused.
A glass turkey egg used to encourage turkey hens to lay eggs in a particular location. According to Mrs. Gold, to encourage a hen to lay eggs in a specific place, farmers would often begin making their nests and place the artificial nesting eggs in them with the hope that the hen would complete her nest in that location. This also helped the farmer keep track of which hens were laying eggs and where the eggs were located. The glass eggs remained in the nest until the hen laid and incubated the eggs and the offspring hatched. It was important to maintain this process and promptly remove the artificial egg so that it could be reused.
A multipurpose ax that was used for digging, clearing and breaking ground. According to Mrs. Gold, it was used in Mount Pleasant before saws and machines were available to clear land to plant crops. The long side was used for hewing trees or bushes and the short side for cutting tree roots.
