Jesse Butcher Signed and Dated 1-4-85 Applachian White Oak Basket

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Jesse Butcher signed and dated 1-4-85 Applachian White Oak Egg Basket with a Fancy Herringbone Edge. Jesse Butcher (1915-1997) was … Read more Jesse Butcher signed and dated 1-4-85 Applachian White Oak Egg Basket with a Fancy Herringbone Edge. Jesse Butcher (1915-1997) was a renowned Appalachian basket maker from Knox County, Tennessee, known as "The Basket Man". He was widely recognized for his skill in creating traditional white oak splint baskets and demonstrated his craft at various festivals and museums throughout the region. To make a basket Jesse would hike up the mountain with a friend and they would hunt for the perfect white oak to make baskets with. Then they would start splitting the oak into finer and finer to get the fine reeds needed for weaving. Then finally after a lot of work they would begin weaving. When he put his name on a basket, he did the whole thing. Jesse learned the craft from his family, continuing a heritage of basket making that was common among farm families in Southern Appalachia. He and his wife, Roxine, were both accomplished weavers who demonstrated their skills at events like the Museum of Appalachia's Fall Homecoming. Jesse Butcher believed in the history he grew up with, being the son of a Civil War veteran and making beautiful baskets. See less