Skip to content
Handmade baskets from the exhibition 'Woven of Wood.' Museum of East Tennessee History image.

East Tenn. museum shows antique basketwork as art form

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

Handmade baskets from the exhibition 'Woven of Wood.' Museum of East Tennessee History image.
Handmade baskets from the exhibition ‘Woven of Wood.’ Museum of East Tennessee History image.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Nearly 200 wooden baskets handmade by Appalachian artisans as utility containers are getting a second life as artwork.

They’re going on shelves and in cases at the Museum of East Tennessee History in Knoxville in an exhibit called “Woven of Wood.” The display runs through June 1.

The baskets date from the 1880s to just before World War II. Guest curator Carole Wahler says they were made for use in rural homes, in gardens or on farms. Most are made of white oak and were crafted in East Tennessee, though the exhibit includes a few made in Middle Tennessee.

The exhibit will include special events including a basket-weaving demonstration and a talk on the history of basketry in the region.

___

Information from: The Knoxville News-Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com

Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-15-14 1839GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Handmade baskets from the exhibition 'Woven of Wood.' Museum of East Tennessee History image.
Handmade baskets from the exhibition ‘Woven of Wood.’ Museum of East Tennessee History image.