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Dat So La Lee

Louisa Keyser, or Dat So La Lee (c. 1829 - December 6, 1925) was a celebrated Native American basket weaver. A member of the Washoe people in northwestern Nevada, her basketry came to national prominence during the Arts and Crafts movement and the "basket craze" of the early 20th century. Many museums of art and anthropology preserve and display her baskets, such as the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.[2][3][4][5]

Louisa Keyser,
Dat So La Lee
Born
1829 [1]
Died(1925-12-06)December 6, 1925
NationalityWashoe
EducationSelf-taught
Known forBasket weaving
Dat So La Lee baskets, 1940s photo
1900 Dat So La Lee basket made of willow, braken fern, and red bud

Meaning of name edit

Dat So La Lee was a nom d'art. There are several theories about the derivation of this name.[6] One theory is that Dat So La Lee comes from the Washoe phrase Dats'ai-lo-lee meaning "Big Hips".[1] Another, is that the name came from an employer with whom she worked. Her art dealers, the Cohns, described her birth name as being Dabuda, meaning "Young Willow".

Documentation edit

Dat So La Lee met her future art dealers Amy and Abram Cohn around 1895. She was most likely hired by the couple as a laundress.[1][7] They recognized the quality of Dat So La Lee's weaving and, wanting to enter the curio trade in Native American art, decided to promote and sell her basketry. Abram "Abe" Cohn owned the Emporium Company, a men's clothing store, in Carson City, Nevada.[1]

The couple began to document every basket she produced from 1895 to 1925. This expanded to include about 120 baskets that are documented. Most if not all of these documented baskets were sold at Cohn's Emporium, while the Cohns provided Keyser with food, lodging, and healthcare. The supreme craftsmanship of these baskets certainly added to the value, but the Cohns' early documentation promoted her artwork. Scholars have discovered that almost everything the Cohns wrote about Keyser was an exaggeration or fabrication.[1]

In 1945 the State of Nevada purchased 20 Dat So La Lee baskets. Ten were placed in the collection of the Nevada Historical Society (NHS) in Reno, Nevada and ten went to the Nevada State Museum in Carson City. With the collection came the ledgers documenting the baskets. In 1979 four of the baskets were stolen from the NHS but by 1999 all had been recovered and all ten were placed on permanent display.[8] Four of the baskets were loaned to the Nevada Museum of Art for the exhibit "Tahoe, a Visual History" (August 22, 2015 - January 10, 2016).[9]

Craftsmanship edit

Dat So La Lee primarily used willow in the construction of her basketry. She would usually start out with three rods of willow and then weave strands around that. Her predominate style was a flat base, expanding out into its maximum circumference and tapering back to a hole in the top around the same size as the base. This is the degikup style that she popularized with Washoe basketweavers.[10]

Five of Dat So La Lee's baskets are included in a 2023 exhibition Independent 20th Century in New York City.[11] The five include a basket titled "Brotherhood of Men" which sold for $1.2 million in 2007, and a 1916 basket titled "Myriads of Stars Shine Over Our Dead Ancestors" that Dat So La Lee considered as her best work.[7]

Resting place edit

Dat So La Lee is buried in the Stewart Cemetery on Snyder Avenue in Carson City, Nevada. Though very much surrounded by diverse cultures because of the recognition of her work, she would only have a Woodfords medicine man named Tom Walker treat her and prepare her for death.[citation needed] On December 2, 1925, they began a four-day ritual to help her complete her days so that she could pass on to death. She died on December 6, 1925. Her simple marble grave marker reads "Dat So La Lee / Famous Washoe Basket Maker / Died 12. 6. 25." A rather cryptic nearby Nevada state historic marker reads, "Myriads of stars shine over the graves of our ancestors."

Dat So La Lee Post #12 of the American Legion in Reno, NV is named for her.

See also edit

External links edit

  • Dat So La Lee page at California Baskets
  • Dat-so-la-lee - Queen of the Washoe Basketmakers on YouTube
  • "Washoe Basket Weavers 2020-10-17 at the Wayback Machine," an Online Nevada Encyclopedia entry by Darla Garey-Sage

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Marvin Cohodas (1992). "Chapter 4. Louisa Keyser and the Cohns: Mythmaking and Basket Making in the American West". In Berlo, Janet Catherine (ed.). The Early Years of Native American Art History. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 88–133. ISBN 0-7748-0433-5.
  2. ^ "Penn Museum Collections". Penn Museum Collections Database. March 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Dat so la lee degikup baskets - Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian - George Gustav Heye Center, New York". americanindian.si.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  4. ^ . www.carsonnvmuseum.org. 11 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  5. ^ "Basket bowl: Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections". Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections Database. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Dat So La Lee". basketweaving.com. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  7. ^ a b Tracy, Marc (September 5, 2023). "The Artistry of Her Baskets Is Complex. So Is the Story Around Them". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  8. ^ Clay, Jacqueline L.; Hayes-Zorn, Sherlyn (Spring 2004). "The Museum Collections" (PDF). Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. 47 (1). Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  10. ^ Dat So La Lee Basket Weaver- from CaliforniaBaskets.Com - Indian Basket Marketplace - Datsolalee Indian Baskets - California Indian Basketry - Louisa Keyser Washo Basket Weaver
  11. ^ "Independent Viewing Room". independent.artnav.co. Retrieved September 7, 2023.

louisa, keyser, 1829, december, 1925, celebrated, native, american, basket, weaver, member, washoe, people, northwestern, nevada, basketry, came, national, prominence, during, arts, crafts, movement, basket, craze, early, 20th, century, many, museums, anthropo. Louisa Keyser or Dat So La Lee c 1829 December 6 1925 was a celebrated Native American basket weaver A member of the Washoe people in northwestern Nevada her basketry came to national prominence during the Arts and Crafts movement and the basket craze of the early 20th century Many museums of art and anthropology preserve and display her baskets such as the Penn Museum in Philadelphia the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D C the Nevada State Museum in Carson City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York 2 3 4 5 Louisa Keyser Dat So La LeeBornDabuda citation needed 1829 1 near Schurz NevadaDied 1925 12 06 December 6 1925Carson City Nevada United StatesNationalityWashoeEducationSelf taughtKnown forBasket weaving Dat So La Lee baskets 1940s photo 1900 Dat So La Lee basket made of willow braken fern and red bud Contents 1 Meaning of name 2 Documentation 3 Craftsmanship 4 Resting place 5 See also 6 External links 7 ReferencesMeaning of name editDat So La Lee was a nom d art There are several theories about the derivation of this name 6 One theory is that Dat So La Lee comes from the Washoe phrase Dats ai lo lee meaning Big Hips 1 Another is that the name came from an employer with whom she worked Her art dealers the Cohns described her birth name as being Dabuda meaning Young Willow Documentation editDat So La Lee met her future art dealers Amy and Abram Cohn around 1895 She was most likely hired by the couple as a laundress 1 7 They recognized the quality of Dat So La Lee s weaving and wanting to enter the curio trade in Native American art decided to promote and sell her basketry Abram Abe Cohn owned the Emporium Company a men s clothing store in Carson City Nevada 1 The couple began to document every basket she produced from 1895 to 1925 This expanded to include about 120 baskets that are documented Most if not all of these documented baskets were sold at Cohn s Emporium while the Cohns provided Keyser with food lodging and healthcare The supreme craftsmanship of these baskets certainly added to the value but the Cohns early documentation promoted her artwork Scholars have discovered that almost everything the Cohns wrote about Keyser was an exaggeration or fabrication 1 In 1945 the State of Nevada purchased 20 Dat So La Lee baskets Ten were placed in the collection of the Nevada Historical Society NHS in Reno Nevada and ten went to the Nevada State Museum in Carson City With the collection came the ledgers documenting the baskets In 1979 four of the baskets were stolen from the NHS but by 1999 all had been recovered and all ten were placed on permanent display 8 Four of the baskets were loaned to the Nevada Museum of Art for the exhibit Tahoe a Visual History August 22 2015 January 10 2016 9 Craftsmanship editDat So La Lee primarily used willow in the construction of her basketry She would usually start out with three rods of willow and then weave strands around that Her predominate style was a flat base expanding out into its maximum circumference and tapering back to a hole in the top around the same size as the base This is the degikup style that she popularized with Washoe basketweavers 10 Five of Dat So La Lee s baskets are included in a 2023 exhibition Independent 20th Century in New York City 11 The five include a basket titled Brotherhood of Men which sold for 1 2 million in 2007 and a 1916 basket titled Myriads of Stars Shine Over Our Dead Ancestors that Dat So La Lee considered as her best work 7 Resting place editDat So La Lee is buried in the Stewart Cemetery on Snyder Avenue in Carson City Nevada Though very much surrounded by diverse cultures because of the recognition of her work she would only have a Woodfords medicine man named Tom Walker treat her and prepare her for death citation needed On December 2 1925 they began a four day ritual to help her complete her days so that she could pass on to death She died on December 6 1925 Her simple marble grave marker reads Dat So La Lee Famous Washoe Basket Maker Died 12 6 25 A rather cryptic nearby Nevada state historic marker reads Myriads of stars shine over the graves of our ancestors Dat So La Lee Post 12 of the American Legion in Reno NV is named for her See also editDat So La Lee House Carson City Native American basket weavers Sarah Jim MayoExternal links editNevada Women s History Project page on Dat So La Lee Dat So La Lee page at California Baskets Dat so la lee Queen of the Washoe Basketmakers on YouTube Washoe Basket Weavers Archived 2020 10 17 at the Wayback Machine an Online Nevada Encyclopedia entry by Darla Garey SageReferences edit a b c d e Marvin Cohodas 1992 Chapter 4 Louisa Keyser and the Cohns Mythmaking and Basket Making in the American West In Berlo Janet Catherine ed The Early Years of Native American Art History Seattle University of Washington Press pp 88 133 ISBN 0 7748 0433 5 Penn Museum Collections Penn Museum Collections Database March 26 2020 Dat so la lee degikup baskets Infinity of Nations Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center New York americanindian si edu Retrieved 2020 03 26 Iconic Nevada basket maker Datsolalee subject of lecture Nevada State Museum Carson City www carsonnvmuseum org 11 April 2018 Archived from the original on 2020 03 26 Retrieved 2020 03 26 Basket bowl Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections Database Retrieved March 26 2020 Dat So La Lee basketweaving com Retrieved 2016 04 07 a b Tracy Marc September 5 2023 The Artistry of Her Baskets Is Complex So Is the Story Around Them The New York Times Retrieved September 7 2023 Clay Jacqueline L Hayes Zorn Sherlyn Spring 2004 The Museum Collections PDF Nevada Historical Society Quarterly 47 1 Retrieved September 19 2020 Nevada Historical Society Archived from the original on April 2 2017 Retrieved October 9 2015 Dat So La Lee Basket Weaver from CaliforniaBaskets Com Indian Basket Marketplace Datsolalee Indian Baskets California Indian Basketry Louisa Keyser Washo Basket Weaver Independent Viewing Room independent artnav co Retrieved September 7 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dat So La Lee amp oldid 1209943918, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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