Eva Wolfe, Cherokee, NC 1985
Eva Wolfe was a master Cherokee basketmaker. She was born in the Soco community of the Qualla Boundary in 1922 and lived and worked most of her life in the Big Cove community, where she died in 2004. Wolfe mastered the intricate double weave tradition that utilized rivercane in her baskets. She often used over 100 strips of cane in one basket, which were dyed with native plants, such as bloodroot and the roots of the butternut tree. Wolfe was the recipient of numerous awards for her work including the North Carolina Heritage Award from the NC Arts Council, the Brown-Hudson Award from the NC Folklore Society. In 1969, Wolfe’s baskets were part of an exhibition at the Renwick Gallery, part of the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC.
I was fortunate to photograph Ms. Wolfe twice—once for the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual in Cherokee and later for the NC Arts Council. In addition to her amazing baskets, Wolfe raised eleven children, raised a huge garden, and was a noted community elder. Her double weave baskets continue a fading tradition.
Thank you, Anna Fariello of Western Carolina University, for the excerpts from her book, Cherokee Basketry: From the Hands of Our Elders.