I had the distinct pleasure of viewing four beaded baskets in person last weekend on a tour of collections. I was struck by the differences in treatments/construction. The baskets were all rectangular but the sides and bottoms were varied. Some sides were wrapped wire with added sprigs of beaded flowers. Others were hard with a thin sheet of wood between the thick wires and wrapped with fabric, the beaded sewn to the fabric. The bottoms ran from embroidered, to bead embroidered, to a lattice of thick wire with peyote woven motifs that were flat inside each square.
I have more inspirational pictures for those who are working on the
beaded basket contest below. If you don't know what that is - there are only 20 basket forms left of them - so read the contest rules soon. (If the demand is great, I might make more).
These pieces are from auction house records. The second and third image are from the same piece and show a square net side for the basket, a really unusual and fun way to form the sides. Light and airy but patterned with motifs.
