Elizabeth Hickox

Image Not Available

Elizabeth Hickox

Wiyot/Karuk, Native American, 1875 - 1947

Biography"Elizabeth Hickox is considered one of the finest basket-weavers of her
time. She lived along the Salmon River in Northern California and
wove with her daughter, Louisa. The creation of a basket was a yearlong
process not limited to weaving. Each material would be gathered at a
specific time, then prepared and sorted for later incorporation into a
basket. Elizabeth wove only with materials with which she could
produce the finest product. She favored the dark contrast of fivefingered
fern (Adiantum aleuticum) with porcupine quills dyed bright
yellow with wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina). From 1911 to 1934,
Elizabeth wove about five baskets a year.
Most of the baskets Elizabeth produced were not for functional use—
cooking and ceremony—but were made as objects of art meant for display. These would be sold to dealers and local tourists to generate
income. While utilitarian baskets carried only simple design elements
and traditional forms, baskets marketed for sale possessed elaborate
designs and innovative forms in order to attract buyers. Unlike many of
the basket-weavers of the time who wove for local sale, Elizabeth sold
her works to Grace Nicholson, a dealer in Pasadena who marketed the
baskets to wealthy collectors across the country."
source: National Museum of the American Indian website

Person TypeIndividual