SKUNK!: 4" round coil sweetgrass basket w/porcupine quill: Paul St John-Mohawk

Description

On this smaller round basket a strolling skunk of porcupine quills walks across birch bark medallion on a round coiled sweetgrass basket by Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman.  The skunk of dyed black quills and natural white quills walks on a green dyed quill grass.  It is on a birchbark medallion with an inner border of natural white quills with darker ends left on.
This round basket
has birch bark at center of lid and used as the bottom -  then co
iled tidal sweetgrass.  It is  4.25" in diameter and 2.5" high.  The birch bark medallion at center top is 2.75" in diameter.  The birch bark has at it's outer edge a border of natural porcupine quill.
Here on our small Maine farm skunks live in near perfect harmony with our dog and cat. (each dog has learned their lesson after being sprayed once - the skunks too seem to understand when a dog has learned respect and won't chase it).   Skunks raid the chicken yard for food and scraps missed by the chickens - and happily eat any eggs laid in the chicken yard instead of the indoor nests.  -  Frequently there are small freshly dug patches in our grass and gardens where they have been digging for grubs.  Early mornings and evenings in the spring through fall we often see a skunk slowly waddling along.  There is nothing cuter than a baby skunk - really!  Their fur gleams bright white and midnight black.  Their faces are adorable.  Obviously - I am fond of skunks!  Here Paul has captured the proud invincible posture of a skunk.
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 side facing cardinal.   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.