The Beautiful Art of Weaving the Sweetgrass Basket

Sweetgrass basket making has been a part of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina for almost 400 years. Brought here by slaves from West Africa, basket making has been a tradition passed on generation to generation. Today it is one of the oldest art forms of African origin in the United States.
The Gullah culture is kept alive through story telling. Their dialect  appears to be a combination of a variety of African languages and English. Plantation owners would not allow African slaves to speak in their native language so they developed this dialect out of necessity.  
They remembered their past and preserved part of their culture by the crafting of sweetgrass basket weaving, boat building, and quilting.


The Gullah-Geechee is a unique cultural tradition that is part of this heritage. A rambling roadway, Highway 17 includes the region that has become known as Gullah/Geechee country. This is home to one of the oldest living cultures in the United States. It is a culture of unique speech, cuisine and crafts blending African, Caribbean and European elements.

Elizabeth's Roadside Stand

Highway 17, Sweetgrass Basket Makers Highway, has many roadside stands where you can observe the ladies, and some gentlemen, weaving their sweetgrass baskets by hand. It is truly an art to watch. A typical basket can cost one hundred to several hundred dollars, depending on the size and the intricate details.

Charleston sweetgrass is tall, thin and has a distinctive sweet smell. These woven baskets were originally used for collecting rice and cotton in the plantation fields.

Sweetgrass basketry is protected under the South Carolina law and is widely respected as a distinctive art form.  It can be found in residences of royalty and highly distinguished art museams like the Smithsonian Institute.

Benjamin Dawson picks sweetgrass 

                                                                               Sweetgrass Carrier  by Jonathan Green, a world renowned artist who has returned to his Lowcountry roots.

Flower Ladies of Charleston  by Virginia Fouche' Bolton
Sweetgrass baskets can be seen in the foreground of this painting.

Laughing Ladies of Broad Street  by Virginia Fouche' Bolton was a beloved local artist in Charleston.

Roadside stands along Highway 17

Vera Manigualt sews and weaves sweetgrass baskets

The absolute beauty of the craft.

I watched as Elijah Ford, a very kind gentleman, used his fingers and years of practiced talent to finish my sweetgrass basket. Mr. Ford has been making baskets for over 65 years. His mother, Florence Ford, taught him as a child. I think this basket is so beautiful. I appreciate all the time and labor that went into gathering the sweetgrass, drying it, and then weaving this piece of art.  I will cherish it always.     My "Belles Choses" ...my Beautiful Things