Great Blue Heron: ACORN shaped quill on sweetgrass basket, Paul St. John-Mohawk

Description

A majestic Great Blue Heron of porcupine quills is on the lid of this acorn shaped sweetgrass basket by Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman.  The great blue heron is made of blue, yellow and black dyed porcupine quills with some natural white/tan quills on a round of birchbark with a border of natural quill at the exterior.  Paul adds some green and brown dyed quills for the 3 cattails around the heron and more blue dyed quills for the water where the heron is fishing.
See the acorn shape of this basket clearly in the third photo in the slideshow above.  Paul has not made many acorn shaped baskets - and I think this is the first "acorn" basket with a Great Blue Heron by Paul that I have been able to offer.
This acorn basket
has birch bark at center of lid then co
iled tidal sweetgrass for rest of lid and all of the basket.  It is 4.5" in diameter at the lid/opening, narrows to 1" diameter at bottom of the basket.  It is  3.25" high.
The birch bark medallion at
center top is 3.75" in diameter.  This basket displays the heron nicely when laying on it's side.  It will lean against back of your display to stand upright if you choose.
Great Blue Herons are found fishing in the tidal areas along the Maine coast - as well as along river and lake banks.  These large fascinating birds are so beautifully colored and so interesting to observe.
Paul St. John now lives in Maine.  He is an enrolled Mohawk tribal member.   He grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's homeland.  His mother is Passamaquoddy/MicMac/Maliseet - When I saw his work I knew immediately I needed to offer his great baskets.  While quill work and coiled sweetgrass baskets are  historically Maine Indian traditional crafts, currently no one here but Paul St. John is actively practicing this craft.  -  Passamaquoddy basket makers, Jeremy Frey and Otter, both have used some quill work on their baskets...  but quill work on coiled sweetgrass baskets are Paul St John's specialty.
Paul is shown in slideshow above with 2 of his works - one of them is a coiled sweetgrass basket with a cardinal.
Paul has made many quill animals, fox, bear, beaver, deer, wolf, moose - and even more birds, cardinal, eagle, loon, blue jay, hawk, hummingbird, great blue heron, chickadee. I am forgetting some I am sure  - see if your favorite is in this ebay store.
He not only does sweetgrass coil baskets and porcupine quill work on birch bark -- but also amazing dolls, Iroquois beadwork, MicMac beadwork,  great moccasins, knife sheaths, medicine bags and so much more!  He is truly a man of many (many many) talents!
Watch this store for more of his pieces.  Can't wait to see what he is going to create next.