Mary Leaf

Mary Leaf (1925–2004) was an Akwesasne Mohawk basket maker, who lived on the border between Canada and the United States. Leaf specialized in basket making, having learned customary basketry techniques from her mother. Her work can be found in the collections of the Newark Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Mary Leaf
Born1925
Died2004 (aged 78–79)
NationalityAkwesasne Mohawk
Known forBasketry

Biography

Leaf was born in 1925 on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation that lies on the border between Canada and the United States. Her mother, Josephine Thompson, taught her brown ash basketry weaving and lacrosse stick lacing techniques at a young age.[1] Leaf created baskets that were often primarily aesthetic, including small colourful "fancy" baskets in the shape of strawberries.[1][2] Other women known for this curl and twist technique of basket making are Florence Benedict, Mary Adams, and Katie Sickles.[3] Although utilitarian basket-making became less common after the 1930s—as the Great Depression ended and Mohawk people began finding more non-agricultural jobs—Leaf became known as a Mohawk basket maker and influenced the resurgence of basket-making in the Northeastern Woodlands in the late 20th century.[4]

Art career

Leaf's baskets can be found in collections at the Newark Museum of New Jersey,[1][5] the North American Indian Traveling College of Ontario,[1] the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, NY,[6] and the National Museum of the American Indian.[7][8] In 2015, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery featured her baskets in an exhibition, Woven from Wood.[9]

Honours

In 1983, Leaf was honoured at a special banquet for Akwesasne basket makers hosted in Hogansburg, New York.[10]

Death

Leaf died in 2004.[1]

References
  1. "Artist Database: Leaf, Mary". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  2. "Forms of Exchange: Miniature strawberry fancy basket; red and green dyed black ash splints and sweetgrass, 1996". Vassar University (Faculty Site). Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  3. Lemmon, Collette (April 1, 2018). "Iroquois Revival: In the Past Decade, Iroquois Basketry Has Experienced a Resurgence". PressReader. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  4. Porter, Frank W. (1990). The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Legacy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 54. ISBN 9780313267161.
  5. "Arts of the Americas". Newark Museum. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  6. Iroquois Indian Museum. "Iroquois Indian Museum".
  7. "Basket with Cover by Mary Leaf". Smithsonian - National Museum of the American Indian. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  8. King, Micki (Winter 2007). "Local Basket Makers Honored at Smithsonian Folklife Festival". Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  9. MacKay, Alastair (July 16, 2015). "Baskets in gallery spotlight". The Chronicle-Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  10. "The Akwesasne Basketmakers: A Special Heritage and Tradition" (PDF). Fort Covington Sun. November 17, 1983. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2018 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
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