Pomo Basketweaving
Product Description
A Supreme Art for the Weaver
by Elsie Allen
Well known for her basket weaving art, Elsie Allen is one of these talented people, who having worked hard most of her life, finally found time in her later years to devote to the creation of exquisitely beautiful Pomo basketry. She is the fourth generation of weavers in her family from the Pomo tribe of northwestern California.
It was a tradition of the Pomo that when a person died, their possessions were to be burned or buried with them. It was heartbreaking for Elsie and her mother when their great grandmother and grandmother died, that even their most superb feather baskets were buried. Fearing nothing would be left of this age old art, her mother courageously broke this custom and told Elsie she wanted her baskets kept available for future generations to enjoy. Learning from her mother, Elsie mastered the art of making coiled, feathered, twine, baby and doll baskets. To keep the ancient art alive she started teaching basketry to those of her own people and others who were interested.
In this book, Elsie Allen's unusual life is told by her granddaughter, while Elsie shows in detail how her people created some the most beautiful baskets known. Detailed descriptions, accurate drawings and photographs for making baskets are given. Some illustrate the busy fingers of Elsie Allen doing each step in the process for creating the baskets including gathering and preparing roots and feathers, designing, and weaving.
by Elsie Allen
Well known for her basket weaving art, Elsie Allen is one of these talented people, who having worked hard most of her life, finally found time in her later years to devote to the creation of exquisitely beautiful Pomo basketry. She is the fourth generation of weavers in her family from the Pomo tribe of northwestern California.
It was a tradition of the Pomo that when a person died, their possessions were to be burned or buried with them. It was heartbreaking for Elsie and her mother when their great grandmother and grandmother died, that even their most superb feather baskets were buried. Fearing nothing would be left of this age old art, her mother courageously broke this custom and told Elsie she wanted her baskets kept available for future generations to enjoy. Learning from her mother, Elsie mastered the art of making coiled, feathered, twine, baby and doll baskets. To keep the ancient art alive she started teaching basketry to those of her own people and others who were interested.
In this book, Elsie Allen's unusual life is told by her granddaughter, while Elsie shows in detail how her people created some the most beautiful baskets known. Detailed descriptions, accurate drawings and photographs for making baskets are given. Some illustrate the busy fingers of Elsie Allen doing each step in the process for creating the baskets including gathering and preparing roots and feathers, designing, and weaving.
