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Treasures

Raffia Tray

Raffia Tray

© Memorial Hall Museum, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association

Arts and Crafts artisans were urged to turn to nature for both design inspiration and for their materials. This raffia tray illustrates how the Pocumtuck Basket Makers incorporate the natural world into their work. Central to the piece is a seven-pointed whorl whose pattern brings to mind the spiral shape of a galaxy or a flower's central disk. The opposing loops of the tray's raffia-coiled reed handles pleasingly reverberate the motion of tray's central motif. Constructed of raffia fibers coiled around a reed support, the artisan chose soft earth-bound hues for the work's few touches of color.

Date:
c. 1912
Creator:
Pocumtuck Basket Makers
Dimensions:
H. 1.812" x Diam. 6.50"