Grapevine Basket
date: label: Date
content: late 20th Century
name: label: Artist
content: Ira Blount
notes: label: Caption
content: The body of this round woven basket is made almost entirely of grapevines, giving the piece a rough, textured feel. The vines vary in hue from warm, reddish hues to darker, wooden browns. The handle is constructed from two twigs, and wood splints connect the handle to the body.
label: Caption
content: Grapevines are one of artist Ira Blount’s favorite materials as they make baskets look “very natural.” In a 1998 interview, he said, “when you’re making a basket using grapevines – the grapevines tell you which way you’re going. So, the shape is dictated by the vines…you might be able to manipulate them slightly, but you usually give into whatever shape the vine is.”
label: Caption
content: After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anacostia Community Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Cite As
content: Gift of Ira Blount
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Anacostia Community Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2011.0004.0004
objectType: label: Type
content: basket
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: grapevine, reed, wood splint
label: Dimensions
content: 8 × 9 1/4 × 9 7/16 in. (20.3 × 23.5 × 24 cm)