Melon-Shaped Basket with Beaded Design
name: label: Artist
content: Ira Blount
notes: label: Caption
content: This natural-colored, melon-shaped basket is woven in a plain weave. While most of the basket’s body comprises wood splints, six thin, round reeds near the handle (three on either side) add variety and texture to the piece. The handle is accented with black, red, purple, white, and green glass beads. The contrast between the natural splints, reeds, and glass beads draws attention to artist Ira Blount’s materials. He has expressed ambivalence over the conveniences of modern society, preferring handmade objects which “have unlimited benefits.” In this basket, Blount takes advantage of commercially available materials while also practicing basketmaking traditions.
label: Caption
content: In addition to basketry, 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: 2011.0004.0045
objectType: label: Type
content: basket
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: wood splint, reed, glass, waxed linen cord
label: Dimensions
content: 6 1/4 × 6 11/16 × 6 5/16 in. (15.8 × 17 × 16 cm)