Passamaquoddy Clara Keezer Corn Basket

The Wabanaki tribes of Maine, many of whom lived inland during winter and on the coast in the summer, began making fancy baskets in the late 1800’s. Fancy baskets are more delicate than the utilitarian baskets made for carrying goods. The tribal members sold their wares to vacationers in the coastal resorts. This design dates to the Victorian era, when ladies brought their handkerchiefs in their trunks to their summer residences or hotels.

Clara Keezer, a Passamaquoddy Indian (1930 – 2016) was one of the women who kept the art of fancy basket making alive into the present. With the demise of coastal travel by the Indians, and the loss of the market, demand for fancy baskets dropped. Women like Clara Keezer held onto their basket making traditions, made innovations in designs, and shared their skills with younger generations.

This corn basket, made in 2006, came out of a large collection of Native American baskets; It retains its bright color and is a wonderful example of Ms. Keezer’s work.

7 1/2 inches long, including finial, x 2 1/4 inch diameter