Fine Cherokee Miniature White Oak Tray Basket by Elsie Watty Black Walnut Dye for Sale

Fine Cherokee Miniature White Oak Tray Basket by Elsie Watty Black Walnut Dye For Sale

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Fine Cherokee Miniature White Oak Tray Basket by Elsie Watty Black Walnut Dye:
$320.00

The Fine Cherokee Miniature White Oak Tray Basket by Elsie Watty is a beautifully crafted piece that showcases the artisan's skill in traditional Cherokee weaving techniques. Made with white oak and black walnut dyed with 100% organic botanical boiling dye, this basket exudes a sense of authenticity and cultural significance. With a provenance from North Carolina and a tribal affiliation with the Cherokee people, this handmade basket is a genuine representation of Native American craftsmanship and artistry. Perfect for collectors or those looking to add a unique and meaningful piece to their home decor.
An authentic, beautifully preserved Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) miniature tray basket hand-woven by respected Cherokee artisan Elsie Watty (1914–2003) of the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina. This exquisite piece showcases the precise, historical preservation of traditional Appalachian white oak basketry methods. Featuring outstanding provenance, it retains its original reservation retail tags and carries an elite pedigree of national institutional recognition.Technical & Material Details

Dimensions: Measures exactly 3.5 inches in length by approximately 2.5 inches in width, displaying exceptional execution at a highly collectible miniature scale.
Materials: Crafted entirely from 100% hand-split and shaved Appalachian white oak (Quercus alba) splints.
Weave Classification: Structured as a traditional 1/1 plain weave flat-plait. It features a balanced checkerboard base that transitions cleanly past sharp, un-fractured 90-degree corners into a dense, over-one, under-one weave on the side walls.
Dye Method: The dark accent weavers are colored using a 100% organic, botanical black walnut (Juglans nigra) dye bath. The high natural tannic acid of the walnut root bark permanently locks the dark espresso color into the wood cells without chemical fixatives.
Rim Work: The top edge is secured with a clean, continuous single-directional lash wrap over a heavy, hand-shaped oak rim strip.

Institutional Significance & Smithsonian PedigreeElsie Watty’s contributions to Cherokee material culture are recognized on a national scale. She is a highly celebrated EBCI master weaver with permanent archival representation in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C. (Catalog Number 26/226). Her archived Smithsonian piece was originally acquired by the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) in 1986 due to its exceptional quality, cementing her legacy as an artisan of major historical importance.Provenance & TaggingThis basket retains its original vintage folding tag from Myers Gift Shops located directly on the Indian Reservation in Cherokee, N.C. The tag explicitly records her tribal enrollment status (Member Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) and includes handwritten details designating the item as a basket made of white oak with natural dyes by craftworker Elsie Watty, alongside its historic original retail price of $8.00.Condition ReportCollector-grade, excellent vintage condition. The basket is entirely structurally sound with no broken or splitting oak weavers. The rim and base corners are completely undamaged, and the deep black walnut dye retains excellent contrast. It has been meticulously preserved in a light-controlled, smoke-free environment.
THIS WILL SHIP PRIORITY MAIL WITH INSURANCE Related Items: