Hopi Corn Basket (small size) - Pam Outdusis Cunningham: Penobscot

Description

A small "Hopi Blue" corn basket by Pam outdusis Cunningham, master Penobscot basketmaker. light blue and darker purple accent kernels are added to the primary color of dyed dark blue ash on the ear of corn. Pam also adds a burst of color to the husk with narrow ash splints dyed light blue, purple and dark blue ash splints inserted at the center of the natural undyed outer husk. She has also bent several of the "husks" a bit near the top for a more realistic look to the "husk". These little corn baskets have been many folks favorite basket by Pam. These colors are found in this traditional variety of corn grown by the Hopi Indians of the Southwest for centuries. Blue corn is a flint corn has been grown in the southwest for drying and grinding into blue corn flour (it is also used for ceremonies). Usually these are flint types best for drying and grinding into cornmeal. Here the small size is about the size of some varieties grown by some Native American tribes for popping corn and for grinding into cornmeal.
This little corn basket by Pam is just perfect. The lid has the "husks" pulled back and tied with a braid of tidal sweetgrass. This looks like a freshly husked ear of corn. This ear of corn/basket bottom is covered with 102 small round "curlicue" curls. (The curls get smaller at the bottom of the basket) The ear of corn is 2.75" to it's rim, the lid/husk is 5" long - making total length 7.75". The middle of the "ear" is 1.25" in diameter, the curls add a bit to it's girth. 1.25" diameter at lid - slightly tapered to bottom of basket which is .75" diameter. On the interior of the rim of the lid /husk Pam has signed "Pam", added the date and put her maker's mark, a sweet fern unfurling into a turtle - Pam is of the turtle clan.
Made of brown ash, the traditional material of Maine and Eastern Canadian basketmakers, this has plain tidal sweetgrass wrapping the rim of the basket and lid - and the braid of sweetgrass tying the ends of the husk.
There are/will be more of Pam's beloved basket styles in this ebay store soon - pinecones, strawberries, mini-corn, blueberries, pumpkins, prayer baskets, sewing baskets, spectacular sea urchin baskets....
Second to last photo is of Pam dancing at the 2019 Penobscot Nation Community Day Festival.  Last photo is a pic of Pam's great-grandmother, ssipsis, selling her baskets about 1920.  To make some of her basket forms Pam uses some of her ssipsis's basket making tools - gauges, crooked knives and wooden molds.    Be sure to view some of Pam's other baskets in this ebay store.