Baskets and Basket Makers in Southern Appalachia [Paperback]

John Rice Irwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1982

This is perhaps the country's most authentic and colorful book on American baskets and the interesting people who made them. Although this in-depth people-oriented book is centered on basketry in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and the surrounding area, basketmaking in Europe, New England, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the country is examined as a means of comparing and contrasting forms, materials and designs. Indian baskets, especially Cherokee, are also included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Irwin is an educator-historian and one of the area's leading authorities on the pioneer-frontier culture. He is the founder and director of the nationally-known Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd; 1ST edition (March 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916838617
• ISBN-13: 978-0916838614
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baskets and Basket Makers in Southern Appalachia, March 2, 2001

By 

Lester Breidenstine (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baskets and Basket Makers in Southern Appalachia (Paperback)

This is the most inspiring book I have found about making baskets. John Rice Irwin covers the subject of producing hand made baskets from scratch with a minimum of tools, and materials found in nature. The author features a great variety of black and white pictures of high quality baskets and makers at work. The book is as much a historical perspective of the Southern Appalachian basket culture, as it is a guide for making your own baskets. The remote areas of the region and the abundance of white oak and other native plants dictate the evolution of making baskets. There are references that indicate the initial designs were adopted by the Cherokee people of the region for harvesting, storing, and marketing their crops. The author has taken great care to include many details about the basket makers, their methods, and reasons for weaving. I was most inspired by the personal stories behind each basket, and the fact that many of the baskets outlive their makers. It is not uncommon for a single basket to last through several generations, carrying the love and thoughtfulness of the maker to those that follow. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in hand made baskets, as well as those who are looking for ways to use materials found in the back yard to create a lasting, usefull, even market worthy product. I have adopted many of the methods, meterials, and designes in the baskets I now make.