Fishing Creel
Artifact
Image
Video
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Activities
LOOK
What do you notice about these/this basket(s)?
What is similar or different about them?
THINK
What do you think these baskets were used for?
What is the cultural importance of these baskets?
DO
Share some examples of cultural practices or traditions that have been passed down to you from older generations.
Details
Historical Context
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- African Nova Scotian basketmaker Edith Clayton (1920–1989) wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
- Clayton wove with an African technique that became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. She sourced natural dyes from Indigenous Mi’kmaq women.
- Clayton taught her 12 children to weave baskets.
- Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Click here to see other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.
Edith Clayton (1920–1989), an African Nova Scotian basketmaker, wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
Clayton forebears were Black refugees who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Clayton learned to make baskets from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. Clayton’s husband Clifford gathered red maple bark, which she coloured using natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women.
Passing along traditions was important to Clayton, who taught all 12 of her children to weave baskets.
Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 1977, and has been the subject of publications and a film.
Click here to see the other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History.
This is a fishing creel (a special type of wicker basket), made by African Nova Scotian basketmaker, Edith Clayton (1920–1989).
Clayton was born in East Preston, and was the daughter of Black Loyalist descendants who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Making and selling baskets became an important source of income for many African Nova Scotian families who came to the region.
Edith made her first basket at age 8. She learned basketry from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. This technique was handed down from mother to daughter over six generations, each generation developing and adding its own artistic flair.
Clayton would make her baskets using red maple, which was native to Nova Scotia and gathered by her husband, Clifford. She would dye the strips of bark with natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women, which made her baskets highly distinctive. She wove many different types of baskets, including horns of plenty, church collection plates, baby cradles, and fishing creels.
Clayton raised 12 children, teaching all of them how to weave baskets. According to her daughter, Clara Clayton-Gough (also a basket maker), Edith felt it was important to keep the basket-making tradition alive within the family.
Clayton sold her baskets at the Halifax market, and at craft fairs across the country. She also taught basketmaking classes and held workshops. Her unique artistry drew national attention, and she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Today, her baskets are found in museums and homes across Canada and around the world. Her story and baskets have been the subject of several publications, as well as a documentary by the National Film Board.
Click here to see the other baskets made by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.
- African Nova Scotian basketmaker Edith Clayton (1920–1989) wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
- Clayton wove with an African technique that became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. She sourced natural dyes from Indigenous Mi’kmaq women.
- Clayton taught her 12 children to weave baskets.
- Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Click here to see other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.
Edith Clayton (1920–1989), an African Nova Scotian basketmaker, wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
Clayton forebears were Black refugees who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Clayton learned to make baskets from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. Clayton’s husband Clifford gathered red maple bark, which she coloured using natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women.
Passing along traditions was important to Clayton, who taught all 12 of her children to weave baskets.
Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 1977, and has been the subject of publications and a film.
Click here to see the other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History.
This is a fishing creel (a special type of wicker basket), made by African Nova Scotian basketmaker, Edith Clayton (1920–1989).
Clayton was born in East Preston, and was the daughter of Black Loyalist descendants who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Making and selling baskets became an important source of income for many African Nova Scotian families who came to the region.
Edith made her first basket at age 8. She learned basketry from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. This technique was handed down from mother to daughter over six generations, each generation developing and adding its own artistic flair.
Clayton would make her baskets using red maple, which was native to Nova Scotia and gathered by her husband, Clifford. She would dye the strips of bark with natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women, which made her baskets highly distinctive. She wove many different types of baskets, including horns of plenty, church collection plates, baby cradles, and fishing creels.
Clayton raised 12 children, teaching all of them how to weave baskets. According to her daughter, Clara Clayton-Gough (also a basket maker), Edith felt it was important to keep the basket-making tradition alive within the family.
Clayton sold her baskets at the Halifax market, and at craft fairs across the country. She also taught basketmaking classes and held workshops. Her unique artistry drew national attention, and she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Today, her baskets are found in museums and homes across Canada and around the world. Her story and baskets have been the subject of several publications, as well as a documentary by the National Film Board.
Click here to see the other baskets made by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.
Summary
- African Nova Scotian basketmaker Edith Clayton (1920–1989) wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
- Clayton wove with an African technique that became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. She sourced natural dyes from Indigenous Mi’kmaq women.
- Clayton taught her 12 children to weave baskets.
- Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Click here to see other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.
Essential
Edith Clayton (1920–1989), an African Nova Scotian basketmaker, wove this wicker basket, called a fishing creel.
Clayton forebears were Black refugees who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Clayton learned to make baskets from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. Clayton’s husband Clifford gathered red maple bark, which she coloured using natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women.
Passing along traditions was important to Clayton, who taught all 12 of her children to weave baskets.
Clayton’s baskets are found in museums and homes around the world. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 1977, and has been the subject of publications and a film.
Click here to see the other baskets by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History.
In-Depth
This is a fishing creel (a special type of wicker basket), made by African Nova Scotian basketmaker, Edith Clayton (1920–1989).
Clayton was born in East Preston, and was the daughter of Black Loyalist descendants who left the United States for Nova Scotia in 1812–1814. Making and selling baskets became an important source of income for many African Nova Scotian families who came to the region.
Edith made her first basket at age 8. She learned basketry from her mother, Selena Irene Sparks, using a technique that originated in Africa and became unique to African Nova Scotian weavers. This technique was handed down from mother to daughter over six generations, each generation developing and adding its own artistic flair.
Clayton would make her baskets using red maple, which was native to Nova Scotia and gathered by her husband, Clifford. She would dye the strips of bark with natural dyes obtained from Mi’kmaq women, which made her baskets highly distinctive. She wove many different types of baskets, including horns of plenty, church collection plates, baby cradles, and fishing creels.
Clayton raised 12 children, teaching all of them how to weave baskets. According to her daughter, Clara Clayton-Gough (also a basket maker), Edith felt it was important to keep the basket-making tradition alive within the family.
Clayton sold her baskets at the Halifax market, and at craft fairs across the country. She also taught basketmaking classes and held workshops. Her unique artistry drew national attention, and she was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
Today, her baskets are found in museums and homes across Canada and around the world. Her story and baskets have been the subject of several publications, as well as a documentary by the National Film Board.
Click here to see the other baskets made by Edith Clayton in the Canadian Museum of History collection.