Small basket with attached lid, constructed in a very fine wrapped coil weave. Basket is low and round, with wide flat base, and walls that slope inward from shoulder toward a wide round mouth. The lid is attached to the basket by two tied strands of grass. Lid is round and slopes gently upward to a flat peak. Both basket and lid are decorated with a red ring which is crossed by abstract linear markings in light orange and dark purple.

A light brown, wide-brimmed, woven grass hat. Woven strips of grass, in a herringbone pattern, have been secured in a circular pattern with white plastic threading. The grass at the outer edge of the brim is black, and the underside of the brim features two bands of pyramid design also executed in black grass. The top of the hat features a small design with three black and three light brown sectors that form a circle, held in place with white plastic threading. The chin strap is a made from a light brown strip of leather, which is fed through the sides of the hat’s crown. 24 long coloured ribbons are tied to the leather strap on the exterior of the hat’s crown. There are 6 colours of ribbons (green, white, yellow, blue, pink and purple), and four of each colour. A green ribbon secures the ribbons to the leather strap.

Patterned, woven, rectangular mat with a square weave in a large checkered pattern of alternating brown, yellow and dual-coloured squares. The brown on the back is considerably muted. A hem on the two long sides has been folded over and incorporated into the back weave.

Patterned, woven, rectangular mat with a square weave in a tight checkered pattern of natural and dyed brown grass in its centre. Long-side borders are made of the undyed grass only, which tighten into a herringbone pattern at edges. A looped fringe of alternating groups of black and yellow yarn is woven into all four edges. The backside of the mat is monotone.

Patterned, woven, rectangular mat with a square weave in a small alternating checkered pattern of natural and dyed brown grass. Long-side borders are made of the undyed grass in a square weave that tightens into a thin strip of herringbone pattern at edges. A looped fringe of alternating black and yellow yarn is woven into all four edges. The backside of the mat is monotone.

Patterned, woven, rectangular mat with a square weave in an alternating checked pattern of natural and dyed brown grass. The edges are finished by folding over each piece of grass, creating a line of small points along the long sides of the mat. These pieces are then woven into the pattern on the back, creating a distinguishable border.

Basket in an open weave. Basket has a rectangular base, widening toward the mouth where the rim bends inward. The handle is thick and robustly woven, standing firm above the centre of the basket. It divides into two arms on each side which attach at the corners of the basket and are woven decoratively into the body and across the base. Each side of the basket has a checked decoration in red grass at centre.

Basket in an open weave. Basket has a small rectangular base, widening toward the mouth where the rim bends slightly inward. The handle is thick and robustly woven, standing firm above the centre of the basket. It divides into two arms on each side near the basket’s rim, and these are woven into the body and across the base.

Gift of John D. Gray.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.