1960s CHEROKEE WHITE OAK WALNUT BASKET,LUCILLE LOSSIAH

Description

9 1/2” ROUND 8” HEIGHT EXTREMELY RARE DOUBLEWEAVE CHEROKEE WHITE OAK WALNUT BASKET, EXCELLENT BY the best weaver of her generation, Lucille Lossiah,living tressure of the as Eastern tribe ,Cherokee NC. Condition is "Used". Shipped
with USPS Priority Mail
CHEROKEE MASTER BASKET WEAVER, Lucille Lossiah makes double and single weave baskets from white oak, maple, and rivercane. She strips her own cane to make splits and dyes these herself with black walnut, yellowroot, and bloodroot. She learned the family styles of weaving from her mother, Mary Jane Lossiah, and her grandmother, Betty Lossiah. Maple weaving, she says, is her favorite because she learned it first. Her knowledge of the basketweaving tradition became crucial several years ago when she and her sister Ramona became the only living practitioners of that art among the Eastern Band. They taught classes sponsored by the Qualla Arts and Crafts Coop and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian until the tradition became firmly rooted in the community once again.
It’s extremely rare to see a LUCILLE LOSSIAH of any size come up for sale and not be in an auction house. Don’t Confuse this with her daughter., Mollie Lossiah.
My grandmother, Evelyn McHan worked at the national parks visitors center at Qualla. She bought this for my birthday in 1968. I have been the sole owner all these years.
She was born in the Painttown community in Cherokee and graduated from Cherokee High School. As a child, Lucille Lossiah spoke the Cherokee language at home, not learning English until she started school. The Cherokee language is still the primary language she uses for conversations with her mother and her sister.
For fourteen years Lucille Lossiah has demonstrated basketweaving at the Oconaluftee Indian Village where she first learned rivercane basketry. She has demonstrated basketweaving along the East Coast from South Carolina to New York, and she demonstrates at the Atlanta History Museum every other year. Her work is sold at Qualla Arts and Crafts and The Indian Store in downtown Cherokee, and by special order. Her baskets often receive recognition at the Cherokee Fall Fair.
LUCILLE
LOSSIAH
TRIBE: Eastern Band of Cherokees
MEDIUM: Basketry
LOCATION: Cherokee,North Carolina
2011 COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
Not only is Lucille Lossiah one of her tribe’s most skilled basket weavers, she is also carrying on a very important tradition by teaching young people the art form and the importance of keeping it alive. Lucille makes one of the oldest styles of Cherokee baskets by stripping her own cane and using natural, homemade, dyes. She is a master at her craft and can work with all traditional Cherokee materials and dyes. Lucille has taught many classes to different skill and age levels for the past ten years, dedicating her time to ensure that her precious knowledge is passed on to other tribal members. She says, “Basketry is a form of therapy that also connects the people with their culture.”
“We are strongest when our culture is being practiced, and it is the dedicated few like Lucille who work so hard to ensure that our traditions will be preserved. Ms. Lossiah not only helped me learn to make baskets but she also helped teach me to be proud of myself, my work, and my Cherokee culture.” - Tonya Carroll, Outreach Worker at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual.