Baskets By Mary Carty
UPDATE
Mary's Shop Has Moved
To Mill Race Village OF Shops
11 White Street, Mount Holly, NJ 08060
Phone 609-518-7600
This is Mary's shop
and students. Mary is a local Piney-Lenape basket maker.
These pictures were taken in Mary's shop in Rancocas
Woods Village of shops where she teaches basketry. Mary
weaves both traditional and contemporary baskets,
but many of her antler baskets have gone beyond
contemporary and are considered works of art. She is a
true artist and innovater who does not like to have her
creativity stifled by following rigid set patterns. This
is a concept Mary often stresses to her students. "I don't
just teach people how to make baskets, I teach them how
to be basket makers," she often says. On the other hand, Mary
has a healthy respect for tradition, which is why she makes and
researches traditional baskets, many of which her Lenape
ancestors made. It's the blending of tradition and creativity
that makes Mary Carty's baskets so unique.
These are some of the old baskets from Mary's collection.
The large basket on it's side is a white oak work basket from
the late 1800's made by Ann Roberts a.k.a (Indian Ann).
These are some of the many different materials Mary
uses in her basketry. The rolled up rattan (foreground,
left) is what Mary primarily uses. The rest of the materials
on the table are: brown ash splints, hickory run, elm bark,
birch bark, bittersweet, cattail, basswood bark, dog bane,
yucca, sea grass, driftwood, sweetgrass, antlers, gourds,
pine needles, etc. There's not much she doesn't use.
These are some of Mary's traditional baskets made with
brown ash, or white oak splints. Many of her traditional
baskets are forms her Lenape ancestors would have been
familiar with. The log in the foreground is the core of a
brown ash log. Brown ash logs are debarked and pounded
with wooden mallets until the growth rings separate. These
growth rings are then pulled free making ash splints.
These splints can then be split down further. The basket
on the far right is made of white oak splints. This is the
material traditionally used in the Pines. It is processed
differently
from ash.
Cherokee
Picnic
This is one of the many baskets Mary will
custom make from rattan reed.
$125.00 per order
GRANDMOTHER
EARTH
This is the largest antler basket Mary
has made. It's made with a cut caribou
antler, and embellished with a carved
wooden turtle and parrot feathers.
Like many of her antler baskets, it's a
work of art, so Mary has named it.
Was $1,200.00
Now On Sale For The Holidays
For Only $695.00
DREAM
WEAVER
Cut mule deer antler embellished
with small dream catcher.
$150.00
Sorry Sold
Front
View
Back
View
Shed
and weathered mule deer antler.
This antler has an excellent rosette shown
in second picture. A rosette is the round
base of an antler that shows where the
deer shed the antler.
Was $175.00
On Sale For The Holidays
For Only $150.00
FRIENDSHIP
BASKET
Elk antler shed this basket was woven by
Mary and her apprentices. It is embellished
with basswood bark, seagrass and mini
dream catcher.
Was $1,200.00
Now on sale for The Holidays
For Only $ 695.00
MOOSE
FIND
Moose antler shed,embellished with
peacock feathers. This is an exquisite
shed and was found trapped between
two boulders above a stream bed.
Unusual Find
Was $450.00
Sorry Sold
DESERT
FIND
Weathered black tail deer shed.
Embellished with macaw feathers
and an abalone shell disc.
Was $495.00
Now on Sale For The Holidays
Only $295.00
Mule
deer antler shed, Grandmother
style basket (has four chambers instead
of two). Has a really nice rosette.
Was $150.00
Now Only For The Holidays
Only $95.00
Large
gourd and pine needle bowl-basket.
Burned floral design.
Was $45.00
Sorry Sold
Small
gourd and pine needle basket
Burned floral design.
Was $45.00
Sorry Sold
Mini
Pack Basket
These are not made with shoulder straps
for carrying on back like larger ones.
This one is made with brown ash splints.
On this one, the stakes are hand pounded
while the weavers are machine split.
Mary can also custom make these,however
whether they are woven with hand or
machine splints may vary. These are
popular with historical re-enacters.
$125.00
Also available in rattan.
walnut stain to give them an old look.
$75.00 add $1.00 for dipping
On the left is an antler naturally shed
by a deer. This antler was not taken
from a deer that was killed. Deer shed
their antlers every year. The antler on
the right is a cut antler from a deer
which was hunted. Mary uses the
antlers of moose, elk, mule deer, and
black tail deer to make her baskets.
(SORRY, BASKETS
WITH WHITE TAIL DEER ANTLERS
ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE)
For questions & orders contact Mary Carty at