Contemporary Makers: CLF 2022 Auction: Willow Basket by Vicki Hast

The craft of handweaving baskets is an age-old art form that saw widespread use in early America. For this year’s CLF Live Fundraising auction, artist Vicki Hast has contributed a delightful woven basket that will fit in well at a living history event or function as period décor for the home.

Hast created this gathering basket from European cultivated willow that was raised and harvested on the Hast Farm in Ohio County, Kentucky. The intricately woven willow stems are nicely contrasted with a handwoven carrying strap, made from 8/4 cotton rug warp, which the artist created on an Inkle loom.

Hast, who specializes in willow basketry, gourd art, and natural fibers, has been creating baskets for over two decades, and never tires of pairing natural materials with the creative process. “It is a joy,” explains Hast, “to take something from the land and transform it into this useful gathering basket.”