The baskets – brought to the area by West African slaves more than 300 years ago – are a piece of treasured art and Lowcountry culture. The cost of these baskets varies widely, but prices usually start at about $30 for a very small basket and increase to $500 and beyond for much larger pieces.
How long does it take to make a sweetgrass basket?
roughly 40-60 hours
It takes roughly 40-60 hours to make one basket, depending on how complicated the design. When you factor in designs with handles, tops and “elephant ears”—sweetgrass molded like a ribbon on the outside of the basket— it’s well over a week of hard handiwork.
What is so special about sweetgrass baskets?
One thing that makes sweetgrass baskets special is that they aren’t made with typical weaving techniques like plaiting or twisting, which are common in other parts of the world. Instead, Gullah artists employ the West African tradition of coiling. Dried sweetgrass is bundled together and coiled in circles.
How do you care for sweetgrass baskets?
Because the grasses used in these baskets come from swamps and marsh areas, water will not hurt them. To clean, gently spray the basket with cold water. Then, thoroughly air dry. This is the only care required.
How much do sweet grass baskets cost?
The cost of these baskets varies widely, but prices usually start at about $30 for a very small basket and increase to $500 and beyond for much larger pieces.
Where does sweetgrass grow in SC?
the barrier islands
Sweetgrass grows on many of the barrier islands along South Carolina’s coast, such as, Kiawah, Seabrook, Dewees, Bulls, Fripp, and Hilton Head.
What grass is used for sweetgrass baskets?
bulrush
Originally crafted by West African slaves brought to South Carolina in the 1600s, sweetgrass baskets were first made of bulrush, a tough marsh grass well-suited for heavy use. Today, the baskets are considered works of art and are often displayed in homes throughout the South.
What is a Gullah basket?
The Gullah tradition of creating coiled grass baskets is a craft that has been handed down from generation to generation. Instead of weaving the baskets, a needle made from a spoon handle, bone or nail is used to sew natural materials together.
What grass is used to make sweetgrass baskets?
The coiled bundles are made from the Muhlenbergia filipes plant, commonly called sweetgrass, but you can also use long pine needles. The fiber used to sew the coils together typically comes from the plant Sabal serrulata or saw palmetto.
Where do you find sweetgrass?
Sweetgrass usually inhabits moist ground on shores (fresh or brackish), meadows, and low prairies, at the edges of woods, bogs, and marshes. Normally, it is not found in pure stands, rather it is found among other grasses and shrubs in mid-successional communities.
How do you clean grass baskets?
Use water and a soft cloth to clean surface dust or debris off a sweetgrass basket. The grasses derive from marsh areas and swamps so they are accustomed to water. Dip the cloth in water and wring it out before you wipe the surfaces of the basket.
Is Seagrass the same as sweetgrass?
Sweetgrass is a grass growing above the ground and is native to North America and Eurasia; the material is dried to be woven into baskets. Seagrass is a marine life grass that grows completely underwater in salty water shallow water areas.
What does Sweet Grass symbolize?
Sweetgrass is one of the most important Native American ceremonial plants, used by many tribes as an incense and purifying herb. Sweetgrass symbolizes healing, peace, and spirituality in many Native cultures, and braids of sweetgrass are sometimes left as offerings at graves and sacred sites.
Why do Gullah people make sweetgrass baskets?
Today they are considered works of art. However, the Gullah-Geechee ancestors used baskets for more practical purposes — for storing food, toting things like crops from the fields, and for fanning rice, flipping the grains into the air so that the husk could be carried away with the wind.
What are Charleston baskets made of?
According to Coakley, these baskets are constructed from sweetgrass, palmetto, pine needles and bulrush. Originally, they were made from bulrush (rush) and palms, two of the primary materials most often employed in traditional coiled basketry.
What is braided sweet grass used for?
People are attracted by the sight as much as by the scent of “wacanga” (Lakota) or sweetgrass braids. They are often used for smudging and their sweet smell is said to please ALL the spirits.
How are sweetgrass baskets made?
The baskets are created by bundling dried sweetgrass, which tends to grow in the sandy soils found near the ocean, and coiling it into unique circular designs, a weaving technique unique to West Africa. Palmetto fronds secure the coils, and pine needles and bulrush are used to both fortify and decorate the baskets.
Is sweetgrass endangered?
Sweetgrass is listed as an endangered species in three states in the eastern region of the United States and has restricted distribution in areas of the western the United States.
What zone does sweetgrass grow in?
This grass grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, surviving temperatures as low as minus 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet grass grows among other plants in the wild and naturally occurs in wet meadows, low prairies, bogs, marshes and lakeshores.
How do you grow sweetgrass?
Light: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Water: Water when dry to the touch, avoiding constant “wet feet.” Soil: Sweetgrass likes well-drained soil of average quality. Use: Sweetgrass is traditionally used in prayer, smudging, and purifying ceremonies.
How did the tradition of sweetgrass baskets begin in South Carolina?
The exquisitely-fashioned baskets are a Lowcountry tradition—an American art with African origins. When West African slaves were brought to South Carolina, they brought with them the tradition of weaving baskets from grass with them.