Basket LK52

Louisa Keyser, also known as Dat So La Lee (ca. 1829–1925), is celebrated as the most accomplished Native American basket weaver. Distinguished by her exceptional craftsmanship, Keyser was both a keeper of Native traditions and a distinctly modern innovator. She is most famous for developing the degikup style, large spherical baskets on a flat base.

The present coiled basket is typical of Keyser’s style, expanding out into the maximum circumference before tapering to a narrow hole in the top. Red and black geometric elements formed by bracken fern and redbud are evenly spaced across the surface. Traditionally, Washoe baskets were round, watertight containers made both for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes. Louisa Keyser transformed the relatively plain design of Washoe basketry into sculptural works for sale on the art market. 

Born to the southern Washoe group, Louisa Keyser’s artistry was recognized by Abram and Amy Cohn, owners of the Emporium Company in Carson City, Nevada. For several decades, the Cohns acted as Keyser's sponsors and provided her with lodging, food and healthcare, allowing her to focus on developing her artistic practice. The Cohns documented every basket produced between 1895-1925, creating a veritable collectors field in the process. Propelled by the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, Keyser’s basketry sold for record prices at the time. Her art is in the permanent collections of many leading museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Museum of the American Indian, Penn Museum, and Nevada State Museum.