Now: Notable Nevada Niceties, Number 2

Louisa Keyser, 1902,
Our Ancestral Hunters,
LK29

 Located a few miles south of Reno in Carson City, the Nevada State Museum has an exhibit that is not to be missed, Under One Sky: Basketry Gallery: Waší:šiw Guwa – the Work of the Washoe People.” 

According to the museum’s website, “This rare exhibition brings together the iconic work of famed weaver Louisa Keyser (known as Datsolalee) and other talented Washoe artists—on display at Nevada State Museum, Carson City for the first time in nearly two decades.” 

https://www.carsonnvmuseum.org/exhibits/under-one-sky/

“Louisa Keyser: A Woven Legacy “ celebrates a talented woman and her amazing basketry. Label text notes that she preferred the name Louisa Keyser, adopted when she married Charlie Keyser in 1888. She was dubbed Datsolaee  in 1899 and is probably familiar to more people by this name. She was interred in 1925 at the Stewart Indian Cemetery in Carson City, with Dat-So-La-Lee inscribed on her marker. The cemetery is located near the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum, another very good museum to visit, which occasionally has baskets for sale in its small shop.                      https://stewartindianschool.com/     But I digress.

Lizzie Toby Peters c1902    

Lizzie Toby Peters c1902

Scees Bryant Possock c1900

Basket Water Bottle,
willow coated with pine resin

At the Nevada State Museum, “Rooted in Washoe Tradition” was conceived and curated with input from Washoe tribal members. From photos of contemporary people to text written in the Washoe language, the hands, hearts, and voices of the people were encouraged and are evident.  It’s fun to see a huge gathering basket twined of willow, a small egg-collecting bag woven of tule, a 10,000 year old sandal.  The Nevada State Museum has a large collection of prehistoric basketry, some of the oldest in North America.

Repaired ancient twined basket

Ancient coiled willow basket

Curated by Dr. Anna Camp, Nevada State Museum’s curator of anthropology and tribal liaison, "Waší∙šiw Guwá: The Work of the Washoe People" is the featured exhibit in the permanent gallery.

A lovely and informative book accompanies the exhibition.  The Art of Native American Washoe Basketry, by Ann M. Wolfe, JoAnn Nevers, Catherine S. Fowler, Darla Garey-Sage and Marvin Cohodas (2025) is available in the Nevada State Museum Store. 

I encourage you to visit this grand institution to enjoy beautiful basketry that spans thousands of years in northwestern Nevada.  Now is a good time to go.