Woven Worlds: Basketry from the Clark Field Collection

Basketry has been woven into the rich tapestry of Native American cultures for centuries. Native American basket weavers have transformed twigs, grasses, roots, ferns, and bark into works of art that are unsurpassed for their beauty and technological skill. The Clark Field collection at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is recognised as one of the most comprehensive basketry collections in North America. What started as a hobby for Clark Field soon became an obsession resulting in a collection of more than one thousand baskets. Field's goal to 'collect authentic specimens of baskets made for actual use by all basket-making tribes' resulted in a collection of extraordinary baskets that tell of the remarkable adaptability of native peoples and how basketry enabled many of their traditions and values to continue. A colour map in each chapter enhances the description of the area and its indigenous cultures, historical information, and a discussion of basket weavers, including some interviews with weavers and/or their families.