History and Art
"Feedin' Chickens," acrylic on canvas, by Jery B. Taylor.
Jery Bennett Taylor's traditional Mt. Pleasant baskets are of the simple coil variety, made from natural materials indigenous to the Low Country. She traces her techniques back 400 years to the already-ancient weaving techniques of her ancestors in Sierra Leone.
Born in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Ms. Taylor is also a self-taught artist who has created a beautiful collection of Gullah paintings depicting her childhood growing up on Boone Hall Plantation. These paintings, acrylic on canvas, include striking images of people and activities, and show us the art in everyday life.
Jery B. Taylor's Sweetgrass baskets begin with a small bundle of sweet grass. The free ends of this bundle are folded together and wound around to begin a coil. An opening is made in this folded bundle by piercing it with the "bone," an awl-like device made from a metal spoon handle. A strip of palm leaf is drawn through this opening, wrapped around the grass coiled and pulled back through another opening in the knot to anchor the coil.
Click the Play button to watch Jery B. Taylor sewing a sweetgrass basket. (1:32)
As this process is repeated, the coil begins to spiral out from the center knot, creating a circular or oval shaped basket base. Basket walls can then be formed by changing the angle at which one row is fastened to another. In Mt. Pleasant baskets, the palm stitch does not interlock with the stitches in previous rows of the coil. As a result, stitches appear to radiate out from the center knot in a straight line, much like the spokes of a wheel.
An "Elephant Ears" basket - nearly a foot across - by Jery B. Taylor.
Each basket is an original sculpture that reveals Jery's skill as both designer and technician. A basket's value increases with age, and with proper care it will last indefinitely. Examples of coil basketry exist today that are well over 100 years old.
Demonstrations and Talks
Jery B. Taylor is available to give a talk or demonstration for your organization or class. Please call Jery at 843-549-5958 for information.