Gabriel Frey Purse
BasketsGabriel Frey Purse
Passamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey is son of Gal Frey and brother of Jeremy Frey. Gabriel’s baskets are of the utilitarian type. He makes the ash baskets in the old way, with no nails or glue.
This basket is made in the style of pack baskets, with a bulge that was designed to fit against the hull of a canoe. The leather cover peels back to expose the entire contents of the basket.
Leather shoulder strap is easily removable with brass releases.
A strip of leather runs up the front of the purse, showing through a lattice of ash. This purse is beautiful as well as rugged and is meant to be used; it need not sit on a shelf, though that can be done as well.
Basket is 8 1/2 in. high x 6 1/2 in wide x 4 in. at its deepest
- Sold out
Gabriel Frey Tall Purse/Fancy Pack
Baskets, PremiumGabriel Frey Tall Purse
Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy basket maker, has been specializing in utilitarian baskets, similar to those made by his family for many generations. With his latest series of purses and packs, he has created a new category of fancy utilitarian baskets. This rugged large purse/pack is adorned with natural dyes of various shades. The leather is cut away to reveal the woven cover below, in the shape of a Wabanaki double curve. The double curve design is commonly thought to indicate balance.
This stunning designer purse is fully lined with supple brown leather, including a large inner pocket to separate contents into two sections. It is a fashionable way to carry your possessions, whether in the city or in the country.
15 1/2 in. tall, including leather handle; 8 1/2 in. at its widest point; 4 1/2 in. at its deepest point.
- Sold out
Covered pack basket
BasketsPassamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey is son of Gal Frey and brother of Jeremy Frey. Gabriel’s baskets are of the utilitarian type that are beautiful to handle and to look at. He makes the ash baskets in the old way, with no nails or glue.
This basket is made in the style of pack baskets, with a bulge that was designed to fit against the hull of a canoe. The leather cover opens to permit access contents of the basket.
In addition to the shoulder strap, this basket has a wooden handle for convenience.
This basket is rugged and is meant to be used; it need not sit on a shelf, though that can be done as well.
Basket is 12 1/2″ high x 8 1/2″ wide x 4 1/2″ deep.
Frey used vegetal dyes to create the maroon color.
- Sold out
Covered pack basket
BasketsPassamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey is son of Gal Frey and brother of Jeremy Frey. Gabriel’s baskets are of the utilitarian type, yet are aesthetically very pleasing. He makes the ash baskets in the old way, with no nails or glue.
This basket is made in the style of pack baskets, with a bulge that was designed to fit against the hull of a canoe. The leather cover peels back to expose the entire contents of the basket.
This basket is rugged and is meant to be used; it need not sit on a shelf, though that can be done as well.
Basket is 10″ high x 7 1/2″ wide x 4 1/4″ deep
Frey used vegetal dyes to create the maroon colors.
- Sold out
Market basket
Baskets$250.00Passamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey is son of Gal Frey and brother of Jeremy Frey. Gabriel’s baskets are of the utilitarian type. He makes the ash baskets in the old way, with no hails or glue.
This market basket has swinging handles for convenient stowing when not in use.
16 1/2″ long x 12″ w; 4 3/4″ high (12 1/2″ high with handle in the up position)
- Sold out
Gabriel Frey Colored Purse
Baskets$850.00Gabriel Frey Colored Purse
Passamaquoddy basket maker Gabriel Frey is son of Gal Frey and brother of Jeremy Frey. Gabriel’s baskets are of the utilitarian type. He makes the ash baskets in the old way, with no nails or glue.
This basket is made in the style of pack baskets, with a bulge that was originally designed to fit against the hull of a canoe. The leather cover peels back to expose the entire contents of the basket.
Leather shoulder strap is easily removable with brass releases.
This purse is beautiful as well as rugged and is meant to be used; it need not sit on a shelf, though that can be done as well.
Basket is 8 1/2 in. high x 6 in wide x 4 in. at its deepest
$850
Baskets of Time: Profiles of Maine Indian Basket Makers
Books$45.00Baskets of Time: Profiles of Maine Indian Basket Makers
In the early 1990s, the art of Wabanaki basketry was considered nearly extinct. Today it is a recognized as a vibrant and evolving form of Native American art.
What saved this important art form from extinction? The imagination, hard work, and generosity of a core group of elders who had kept the tradition alive, along with the Maine Indian Basketmakers Association. Baskets of Time shares the stories of seventeen artists and families. Each profile describes how the artist learned the art of basket weaving from individuals within their family and from other tribal members. In their own words, they describe how they transform such raw materials as sweetgrass and ash into beautiful baskets that have become award-winning works of art sold in galleries and exhibited in museums, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
Gretchen Faulkner, Director of the Hudson Museum at the University of Maine, has written an essay in which she provides the historical background for the tradition of Maine Wabanaki basket making–and the important role the art form played in the past and still plays today in the lives of in the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac tribes.
Baskets of Time is beautifully produced book that is fully illustrated with color photography of each artist and their work. It will appeal to collectors of Native American basket making; to people who are just discovering basketry art; and to those who are interested in learning the story of how an ancient Native American art form has been not only saved from extinction but also imbued with the energy and creativity of a new generation of Wabanaki artists.
145 pages, softcover
