Mary Anning's Basket for National Fossil Day

 

Portrait of Mary Anning by Benjamin John Merifield Donne, 1850. Pastel. (GSL/POR/1)

Provenance: Presented to the Society by William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Ennisillen, 1875.

Courtesy of The Geological Society of London.

Mary Anning was an incredible paleontologist from Lyme Regis, a town in west Dorset, on the "Jurassic Coast" of southern England. An excellent write-up about her can be found on the website of Lyme Regis Museum. This museum is located in her actual home, thus their catch-phrase, "Where Mary Anning Lived." I hope to visit someday. https://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/about-us/the-mary-anning-experts/ 

Mary helped "discover the first specimen of Ichthyosaurus to be known by the scientific community of London. This specimen was probably discovered sometime between 1809 and 1811, when Mary was only 10 to 12 years old. And while Mary did find the majority of the remains, her brother had discovered part of the beast [skull] twelve months earlier. In fact, the entire Anning family was involved in fossil hunting, but Mary's skill and dedication produced many remarkable finds and thus provided the fatherless family with a means of income."  https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/anning.html  While Mary spent her life collecting, documenting, preparing, and selling fossils, her brother Joseph became an upholsterer.

Mary's ichthyosaur is on display at University of Oxford's Museum of Natural History. Their website notes, "This particular specimen has recently been re-identified as a juvenile of Ichthyosaurus anningae, named after Mary Anning." https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/learn-mary-annings-ichthyosaur

Ichthyosaur fossil.  https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html

Detail, Portrait of Mary Anning
by Donne, seen above.

There are many resources devoted to Mary's paleontological dedication and discoveries that you can explore. She was able to support herself through fossil hunting and preparing, but was not accepted as a true scientist during her lifetime.

Looking at Mary's portrait above, you can guess why she's being featured on this blog on National Fossil Day.

What do we know about her basket?

It seems like the average workaday basket, similar to what one sees in vintage British photos, paintings, and period pieces such as Downton Abbey. These are primarily twined or of wickerwork in willow or hazel in an ancient practice that continues to be relevant today, with practitioners located throughout the United Kingdom.

In 2022, through the work of many visionaries, fundraisers, and artists, Mary Anning was honored by a bronze statue that now stands above the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis Museum. The statue was created by Denise Dutton, a sculptor who was commissioned for public artworks in the UK. Read more about Denise and the creation of this sculpture on the Mary Anning Rocks site: https://www.maryanningrocks.co.uk/about-the-project   and view good photos of the basket model: https://www.maryanningrocks.co.uk/the-process

 Image supplied by Lyme Regis Museum

The wicker model for the sculpted basket was made by Rachel Evans and can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/VISIBLEWomenUK/posts/marys-basket-is-ready-willow-artist-rachel-evans-wheatcroftwillow-has-done-an-am/1018366422222703/

I like that this statue depicts a powerful woman, striding purposefully with a steady gaze, gripping an ammonite fossil in one hand, her rock hammer in the other, her dog Tray at her heels, and her collecting basket dangling from the crook of her arm. To climb down to the cliffs and dig out fossils day after day was not a task for a shirking English rose, and this image portrays her strength and determination.

The photo of the statue seen above, as supplied by Lyme Regis Museum, includes a bunch of fresh posies that someone deposited in her basket. The flowers are not an actual part of the statue.

The painting above, and one possible photo of her back, are all of the known images of Mary. The back photo, and an interesting article, are featured in The Guardian. It could possibly be a view of Mary, with bonnet and cape, sans basket and dog. Dr. Suzanna Pilaar Birch, the article's author, tells of other woman geologists from that time period, and Dr. Birch doesn't reach a conclusion one way or another as to this woman's identity, as appropriate. It is noted that the photo, by William Henry Fox Talbert, was taken in Chudleigh, Devon. Today, Google shows that to be about 66 km/41 mi from Lyme Regis, which I think makes it less likely to be a far-from-home Mary in that photograph. Please see the article and image here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-h-word/2013/aug/21/photograph-mary-anning-women-history-geology  

That photograph, actually a salt print made from a calotype negative, is housed at the National Media Museum, Bradford, part of the Science Museum Group. Their preferred citation is:  Science Museum Group. The Geologists, Chudleigh, Devon. 1937-1614/4 Science Museum Group Collection Online. Accessed 27 September 2026. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8183829/the-geologists-chudleigh-devon

Basket People Part 3: Caught by a Troll!

The Troll isn't a basket.  It's a charming character who carries a big net, which is not actually a basket. 

The net is made of what appears to be heavy cotton cordage, wrapped (or coiled?) around a sturdy foundation. Knots at the junctures hold the structure together. It's really quite strong. 

Net construction detail.

This week, a friend and I visited South Coast Botanic Garden, just days before the end of the traveling exhibit titled  "Trolls: A Field Study."  The installation featured large, enchanting sculptures made of reclaimed wood by artist Thomas Dambo. 

https://www.thomasdambo.com/  https://southcoastbotanicgarden.org/

After writing the blog "Basket People Part 2: Wicker Men," featuring Edward Woodward and Nicolas Cage captured in baskets, getting caught myself seemed like a fun thing to do.

Thank you, Liz Favela, for sharing your photos with me.

Basket People Part 2: Wicker Men

Bawdy, provocative, raunchy, romantic, steamy, vulgar, warm, wise, witty.  

These are not usually words associated with basketry, but they've  been used by reviewers of the soon-to-be-released movie Wicker. (Release date October 23, 2026 United States, 30 October 2026 United Kingdom.) 

I've not seen it. For some reason, no one thought to invite me to the Sundance Film Festival! It premiered there on January  24, 2026.

In a nutshell, Basket Weaver (played by Peter Dinklage) deftly twists willows, at the request of Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman), into a man to be her Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård).  Basket Weaver succeeds, and the story goes from there.  The movie was adapted from the short story The Wicker Husband by Ursula Wills-Jones.  

The publicity photos released show an amazing basket person. So...what about that basket?

New Zealand's Wētā  Workshop designed the Wicker Husband. 

"A team of 50 people at Wētā  Workshop  spent months designing the practical costume....They first made a 3D-printed prosthetic shell molded precisely to Alexander Skarsgård's body shape. Actual real-life wicker was then hand-woven directly over the 3D-printed prosthetic base. A minor amount of CGI [computer generated imagery] was added later to make the gaps in the wicker look hollow instead of showing the actor's skin underneath."  It took about 90 minutes to apply the suit to  Skarsgård.    https://www.wetaworkshop.com/projects/wicker  and 

https://www.google.com/search?q=who+actually+made+the+baskets+for+the+3d+printed+suit+in+wicker+movie&oq=who+actually+made+the+baskets+for+the+3d+printed+suit+in+wicker+movie&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAtIBCTE2MjM0ajBqNKgCA7ACAfEF7phmllHlZVo&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8

"The 3D-printed underlayer solved a complex design challenge, as a human body cannot be accurately recreated using only straight woven fibres. The printed structure provided the necessary contours while preserving the appearance of an entirely woven figure."  https://tribune.com.pk/story/2621314/how-was-alexander-skarsgard-transformed-in-wicker-weta-workshop-reveals-the-process

Creating a basketry suit seems an incredible feat, and I'd like to credit those weavers by name. Until then, I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. 

For basketry research purposes, of course.

Many years prior to this year's basket movie offering, The Wicker Man was released in 1973, with a remake in 2006. These also featured men in basket suits, but nothing like Skarsgård's form-fitting costume. These are more like a giant effigy figures, such as what might be seen at Burning Man.

Fred Bennett and Ernie Blake were the construction managers behind the wicker structures that were used in the 1973 film, made from "standard agricultural sheep-containment hurdles." 

[youtube - making of the wicker man. I did not link this source as this video has full nudity]

Above, the 1973 movie poster.

Left, Edward Woodward appears in the very large basket in the 1973 movie The Wicker Man, seen at the left.

In the 2006 remake, Nicolas Cage is in the basket cage at the right.

The 2006 remake of The Wicker Man was led by Production Designer Phillip Barker and Property Master Brent Lane. 

There are 55 people listed in the Art Department in the credits of this movie. There had to be some pretty decent basket weavers among them. 

https://shotonwhat.com/the-wicker-man-2006

Below, the 2006 movie poster.

                                                                                                      

Image below, interior basketry structure of a large effigy at Burning Man.  Unsplash photo 

by Joshua Williams, photo-1720748834947-a2a-61058bc3b

Right, large basketry effigy figure at Burning Man.

Unsplash photo by Leo Visions,

photo 1759083842319-a4534706c506

Basket People Part 1: Figural Baskets

Basket People are in people's homes and in people's museums. Soon one will be on a movie screen. Let's explore the older, static forms first, then take a look at basketry on men, and men in baskets, in the next blogpost, Basket People Part 2: Wicker Men. 

This category of basket people includes basketry dolls, effigy or figural baskets, and the like, from corn husk dolls from farming communities worldwide (not discussed in this post) to folded tule dolls of Indigenous Californians.

Among the first basket people that came to my mind are the basketry figures of the O'odam peoples of Arizona. This type of basket was primarily made for the tourist market. According to Andrew Hunter Whiteford (Southwestern Indian Baskets: Their History and Their Makers, 1988, page 139),  these forms became popular in the 1930s and many artists were making them in the 1940s. They are primarily female figures. Male figures are more rare, as are effigies including owls, dogs, turtles, and various other animals. 

The couple in this photograph live in my china cabinet. She carries a pot on her head, and the design on her dress is made of  yucca root. He looks sporty with buttons on his shirt, a belt, and cool footwear. These baskets are coiled of willow, yucca (yellowish), yucca root (brownish), and devil's claw (black) on a beargrass or cattail foundation.  He stands 11.2 cm tall.

Many more basket people like these live in museums.

A most charming figural basket from the Akimel O'odham is housed at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, object number 4740-1. It's coiled of willow and devil's claw on a cattail bundle foundation, and was made in the mid-20th century. See it here: https://cdm16286.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15086coll3/id/78/rec/22

A female figure with an expressive face and detailed dress is also at the Heard Museum, object number NA-SW-PG-B-119. She was made around 1970 and is coiled of yucca (bleached and unbleached) and devil's claw on a beargrass foundation. She can be seen here:  https://cdm16286.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15086coll3/id/53/rec/37

A basket man that appears ready for action can be found at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, object number 1989.8.33. It was made by a Klamath or Modoc weaver and is twined of cattail and tule. He's dressed in fringed leather breaches sewn with thread. He has a wicked looking wooden club with a black obsidian blade attached to the business end of it. This basket was made around 1930 - 1950. Visit him here:  https://collections.eiteljorg.org/objects/1687/doll?ctx=85de2eb44ec8898d6db19600d4885e71992756b3&idx=0

My blogpost on South American Figural Baskets features a colorful woman figure from Ecuador (post created 2/6/2026).

A friendly looking dog made by Tohono O'odham weaver Lucy Andrew, circa 1961, has its home at the Arizona State Museum, object number e-4645ab. Diane Dittemore of the Arizona State Museum discusses it here:  https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/curators-choice/prize-winning-baskets

Dolls made of tule (bulrush) are made by various California Indigenous peoples, including the Miwok and Pomo. To learn about tule dolls from Kimberly Morales Johnson of the Gabrielino Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, visit the website of The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This same page also features basketry dolls from the Purepecha of Mexico and Annishinaabe of Minnesota. https://nhm.org/stories/tule-and-its-many-gifts

These are fun baskets, and each has its own captivating personality. 

Basketry Purses

I've never been to Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, but I have long admired fabulous Nantucket baskets. Now the New York Times has picked up on the trendiness of Nantucket friendship baskets and their use as purses, as reported by Maria Santa Poggi in "This Little Basket Is Having a Very Good Summer" (published Aug. 13, 2026, updated Aug. 14, 2026).  Santa Poggi writes, "the friendship basket has become a woven collectible sometimes compared to an Hermes Birkin bag."  At several thousand dollars each, they are pricey. As unique works of art, they're worth the price. The article gives a good history of this form of basketry.   https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/style/nantucket-lightship-friendship-basket.html?smid=nytcore-android-share 

                                                                                

Paul F. Whitten, Nantucket Lightship Shopping Basket, 1971, rattan, oak, ivory,
and metal, (33.0 x 37.4 x 26.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Museum purchase, 1975.143. Photo courtesy SAAM.

Without lids, they're known as lightship baskets. With lids, they're friendship baskets. José  Formoso Reyes created the friendship basket. A Filipino member of the U.S. Army in World War II, he became a U.S. citizen following the war, and settled in Nantucket. He added lids and decorative  scrimshaw.  For a more in-depth history of Nantucket basketry, the Nantucket Historical Association's website has links to articles including  "José Formoso Reyes"   https://nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topics/joses-formoso-reyes/ and "A Short History of Nantucket Baskets" https://nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topics/a-short-history-of-nantucket-baskets/ 

                                                                                            

Nantucket Basket by Joan Brink
and Priscilla M. King, c1990
National Museum of the 
American Indian catalog
number 25/4731

A collaboration between weaver Joan Brink and carver Priscilla M. King resulted in this modern take on a Nantucket friendship basket. It's woven of willow and wood, and the carving is of argillite.

The friendship basket harkens back to a classically shaped lidded basket (without carved embellishments), an old form that I saw recently in “Rest on the Flight into Egypt.” The basket here is oval, with a lid, and a handle. Possibly it's not the type of basket around when and where Jesus was a babe, but nevertheless it appears in this Madonna and Child scene. Perhaps it is intended to hold Flemish chestnuts that Joseph is hitting from a tree using a stick. This is an oil on panel painted about 1510 by Gerard David in the Netherlands. The painting is currently located at the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, object number 1937.1.43. Read more about it on their website, https://www.nga.gov/artworks/50-rest-flight-egypt 

Rest on the Flight into Egypt,
Gerard David, c 1510, 
National Gallery of Art 1937.1.43

Detail of Basket in Rest
on the Flight to Egypt

A tidy little purse from Akwesasne.
Photo: Bryn Potter

Finally, my own entry into the basketry purse category. Alas, it is not a Dutch antique, nor a coveted Nantucket basket, but it's just as important. It's a lovely northeastern piece from the Kanienkehake People of the Flint (Mohawk).  It's old tag proclaims "St. Regis Indian Reservation Basket." 

"The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is the federally-recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation at Akwesasne. The territory under our jurisdiction lies south of the border [in New York State] dividing the United States and Canada. The lands north of the border are under the jurisdiction of our counterparts, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne"  according to the Mohawk Tribal Council website accessed 8/15/2026, https://www.srmt-nsn.gov/about

Interior of the Akwesasne Basket. Photo: Bryn Potter.

My basketry purse from Akwesasne / St. Regis  is circular with handles, about 9" x 2.5" in size and probably about 100 years old. It's formed of ash wood splints twined with braided sweetgrass. The splits were dyed, although there's no color to be seen on the exterior anymore. Open it, and the interior reveals some of the materials were dyed burgundy red and dark brown, colored with commercial dyes that have badly faded on the exterior. There are two braided sweetgrass handles that are stitched in place. The clasp is made of two splint rings, as is the simple and unfortunately broken hinge on the other side. This basket was purchased by me on EBay a dozen or so years ago. Who knew then that basketry purses could become the trendy accessory in 2026?

Basic Splint Basketry is a short book produced by the Akwesasne St. Regis Reserve, North American Indian Travelling College in 1986. It explains how to make baskets while following Mrs. Mary Adams as she creates one. It notes, at that time the book was written, Mrs. Adams had been a basket weaver for over 50 years. For more information, https://akwesasne.travel/our-stories/mohawk-and-akwesasne-basketmaking/

The Sombrero Vueltiao at the Olympics

The Winter 2026 Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, have come and gone, but the lasting impression of stylish baskets remains in my mind.

Colombia's small team, consisting of cross country skier Fredrik Fostad and three coaches, walked in the opening ceremony sporting sombrero vueltiaos upon their heads. What knockouts! 

Town & Country magazine included Colombia in its list of "The Best Opening Ceremony Uniforms at the 2026 Winter Olympics" due to their "brightly patterned jackets." It's too bad they missed the opportunity to talk up these amazing hats!   https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/sporting/a70202021/best-dressed-teams-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony/

Columbian team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

These fine hats, well known in Colombia and increasingly around the world, were also worn by Colombian athletes in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. (photo: olimpicocol)

Just what are these Colombian favorites?

The fibers of the Caña flecha palm (Gynerium sagittatum) are separated and dried in the sun for the white color, and then dyed in mud for the black color. The weaving technique has been used by the Zenú people in the Sinú River region since before colonization, and continues to be used by them today. They braid strips of fibers together, which are then sewn together in elaborate patterns.

Although the black and white hats are traditional, artists are employing more colors in some contemporary pieces. A number of bright and wonderful sombreros vueltiaos are available on the Best of Colombia Group website, which notes that they work with over 80 families of artists to create their crafts. While the selection of hats looks enchanting, please note, I have not purchased anything from this website nor authenticated that statement about the artists.  https://bestofcolombia.com/collections/sombrero-vueltiao-hats-1

For more information on this exciting national headware of Colombia, visit  https://colombia.co/en/colombia-country/history/vueltiao-hat

Photo courtesy https://colombia.co/en/colombia-country/history/vueltiao-hat

President Nixon's Straw Baskets

When one looks, one can find baskets in nearly every museum one visits.

About a decade ago, a friend and I attended a gathering of archivists held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, and yes, I found a couple of Indigenous baskets on display. 

They were in an exhibition that featured gifts given to the Nixons. The labels contained the names of the donors, but otherwise, additional information was sorely lacking.

Richard M. Nixon's presidency lasted from 1969 to 1974, so he presumably received the baskets during this period. The colors used in the baskets could be from commercial dyes. Yet the first basket, made by a Navajo artist, looks like it might have a bit more age to it. Closer inspection might indicate that natural dyes were used, such as mountain mahogany for the red color, and sunflower seeds for the black color.

 Navajo Wedding Basket

The first "Straw Basket, Handwoven," is a Diné or Navajo basket, a type commonly referred to as a Navajo wedding basket. It is a coiled basket with a herringbone rim, and is most likely woven of split and peeled sumac.

Hualapai Basket

The second "Straw Basket" fares better with its label, as it is described as having been made by a weaver in the Hualapai Tribe of Peach Springs, Arizona. This basket is diagonally twined of split sumac with an orange and black pattern, and it has  a wrapped rim. 

The Library is worth a visit. It encompasses Nixon's birthplace and childhood home, Army One Presidential Helicopter, and lovely gardens. I suspect these baskets are not currently on display. 

The Library's exhibition "America 250: A More Perfect Union" is open through January 31, 2027. 

A Peace Rose in the Nixon's Rose Garden.