For millennia, Native artists on Olympic Peninsula, in what is now northwestern Washington, have created coiled and woven baskets using tree roots, bark, plant stems��nd meticulous skill.
From the Hands of a Weaver presents the traditional art of basket making among the peninsula's Native peoples��articularly women��nd describes the ancient, historic, and modern
practices of the craft. Abundantly illustrated, this book also showcases the basketry collection of Olympic National Park.Baskets designed primarily for carrying and storing food have been
central to the daily life of the Klallam, Twana, Quinault, Quileute, Hoh, and Makah cultures of Olympic Peninsula for thousands of years. The authors of the essays collected here, who include
Native people as well as academics, explore the commonalities among these cultures and discuss their distinct weaving styles and techniques. Because basketry was interwoven with indigenous
knowledge and culture throughout history, alterations in the art over time reflect important social changes.�Using primary-source material as well as interviews, volume editor Jacilee Wray
shows how Olympic Peninsula craftspeople participated in the development of the commercial basket industry, transforming useful but beautiful objects into creations appreciated as art. Other
contributors address poaching of cedar and native grasses, and conservation efforts��ontemporary challenges faced by basket makers. Appendices identify weavers and describe weaves attributed
to each culture, making this an important reference for both scholars and collectors.Featuring more than 120 photographs and line drawings of historical and twentieth-century weavers and
their baskets, this engaging book highlights the culture of distinct Native Northwest peoples while giving voice to individual artists, masters of a living art form.
