For centuries, artisans in the Lowcountry have practiced one of the longest-celebrated African American art forms: coiled basketry. A technology brought to the region by those largely enslaved of West African descent, these baskets were central for rice production on plantations. Using local plant materials like bulrush and later sweetgrass, their utilitarian purpose raised to a level of artistry characterized by inventive forms and sophisticated designs. This transmission of skill and knowledge continued post-emancipation with the rise in basket production for sale among their descendants in the region’s coastal communities known as the Gullah Geechee. The flourishing Savannah market, as well as roadside stands along coastal South Carolina and Georgia, became popular sources for this artistic exchange.

Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry explores the intricate history of this basketmaking tradition in the region. These handsewn forms were largely found in Savannah and the greater coastal Georgia and South Carolina region and highlight the historical and cultural contributions of one of the Lowcountry’s oldest handicrafts of African origin.