Sweetgrass Basket

South Carolina State Lowcountry handcraft

sweetgrassbasket.jpg

Sweetgrass basket

Sweetgrass basket; photo by libsciterp on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).

Sweetgrass Basket

South Carolina designated the sweetgrass basket as the official state lowcountry handcraft in 2006. Sweetgrass basket-making has been a tradition in the lowcountry for over 300 years and it is one of the oldest art forms of African origin in the United States. Lowcountry sweetgrass baskets are famous for their detailed craftsmanship.

South Carolina

Images

Handcrafting a sweet grass basket; photo by Fancy Jantzi on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Handcrafting a sweet grass basket

Elizabeth Stokes works on a basket at the Annual Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival at Waterfront Memorial Park; photo by Mary Austin on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Making a sweetgrass basket