Basket
PeriodCirca 1830 - 1860
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumAsh, oak
Dimensions9.5 × 15 in. (24.1 × 38.1 cm)
ClassificationsAgricultural T&E
Credit LineGift of Holmes Bailey and his daughter Alison Bailey, 2023
Object number2023.10.2
DescriptionA gathering basket constructed of 1/2 inch oak stakes with 1/4 inch ash weavers, beginning with a square base and ending at a rounded rim, edged with half round oak rim pieces and single lashed with ash. Four small hand-carved feet are inserted at all four corners.NotesAccording to the donor, this basket was owned by Leola Crawford Bailey (1895 - 1986) who grew up in Freehold, New Jersey. She was a descendant of Crawford, Van Dorn, Schenck, and Morgan families of Monmouth County, and it is uncertain where the basket originated. It is most likely that the basket was made in Monmouth County, but the maker remains unknown. In the 1850 Federal Census, for example, five basketmakers were identified (one in Marlboro, two in Upper Freehold, and two in Millstone.) Baskets may also have been imported into Monmouth County from other regions including New York and the Philadelphia area. Basketmakers rarely signed their work, as the object was considered a utilitarian item rather than art. Many basketmakers did, however, have their own distinctive construction details which can sometimes be used to attribute a particular maker's products.
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