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Pounded white ash basket made for Virginia Tise
Images (click to enlarge)
  • Interior view of pounded ash basket
  • Virginia, Jessie, and Marguerite Tise ride Minnie to fetch the mail at Granny's.
    Virginia, Jessie, and Marguerite Tise ride Minnie to fetch the mail at Granny's off Woods Gap Road. Floyd Co. Historical Society collection.
Baskets, Cultural Objects

Iowa Griffith Haynes Three Sisters Basket #1

People
Maker/Creator: Iowa Alice Griffith Cockram Haynes
Associated Person: Virginia Tise Kirkwood
Date
1921
Places
Haycock Mountain, Courthouse District
Material/Medium

White ash splits

Specifications
  • Length: 10 inches
  • Width: 7 inches
  • Height of weaving: 7 inches
  • Height with handle: 11 inches
Description

This basket was woven from pounded white ash splits.  It has a rectangular closed base with narrow filler stakes, crossed lashing on rim, and a notched white oak handle with ends overlapping in the center bottom. The basket was decorated with repeating geometric designs (green diamonds with dark grid patterns alternating with red dots) painted on both the weavers and stakes with birch twig brushes.

Keywords
split basket, pounded ash basket
Bio Sketch

Virginia Tise Kirkwood (1909-2000) was the eldest of three daughters born to the Reverend Jacob Marshall Tise and Alice Peterman Tise.  Virginia’s father bought this basket for her in 1921; it remained in the Tise family until her sister Jessie Tise Heafner’s death.

Iowa Alice Griffith Cockram Haynes (1869-1964) grew up in the Griffith Valley near Woolwine.  She was the third  of  ten children born to Sparrell Tyler and Henrietta Artamincea  Hall Griffith. After her first husband David Cockram’s death, Iowa married  Monroe Haynes and moved to the Haycock community of Floyd County.

Notes

Sparrell Tyler Griffith (1846-1920) built his reputation in the region as a chair maker.  He and his sons assembled the white oak frames while Iowa and the other daughters wove the seats.  Descendants have preserved a number of baskets and chairs made by Griffith family members.