Cherokee River Cane Mat - Brown, Black & Natural - by Ramona Lossie (Cherokee)

This beautiful framed weaving by master Cherokee basketweaver Ramona Lossie is woven out of river cane.  At the center is the "Cross on Hill" pattern, and at the top and bottom the "Honoring the Warriors" pattern.

Rivercane is a bamboo-like plant that grows in wet, swampy areas along the banks of creeks in the Southeast. The black pieces are dyed with butternut, the orange with bloodroot, and the light colored pieces are the natural river cane.

An award-winning master basketweaver, Ramona Lossie is now allowed to spell her last name as Lossiah, a change given when an artist becomes a master or an elder in their craft. Ramona, a sixth-generation Cherokee basketweaver, learned the craft from her mother and grandmother. Preserving the basketmaking heritage of the Cherokee Indians remains one of her enduring passions and she often gives workshops to teach aspiring basketmakers how to work with river cane, and split woods.

Mat 7 1/4" wide, 9 1/5" long, frame 12" x 16"