Birch Bark Baskets Angelique Merasty Bitings

 For years the birch tree has been used for it's "folk remedies" but also it's crafting properties . From canoes to paper for crafts it has a wide range of uses among artists. I've seen it used for  crafting journals, tiny miniatures such as "a roof" on a handmade birdhouse, sometimes implemented in small log cabins in  train gardens to decorations for the home. There's not a bad use for this tree's bark in the crafter's eyes.  One of the more collectible uses are the birch bitings and birch baskets. 

This implements a birch bark biting into a collectible brooch from Etsy shop /ChieftainDesigns

The art of birch bark biting dates back for years with the indigenous people.  Basically this is where an impression by the mouth by biting into the birch bark thus fashioning into interesting designs, then using that bark for arts such as jewelry, wall decor, and the like is quite impressive.  

Nor to mention, besides just downright interesting and highly collectible.  A framed biting for the wall coming from a true indigenous crafter may run you upwards of $60 dollars wherein this brooch retails for $25.  The podcast below attributes one of the more famous crafters who was Cree, and they are talking about  Angelique Merasty whose work is quite famous and now sells at auctions for lots of money.  Originally sources write when she first sold her work as a young girl, she was fetching 15 to 20 cents a biting,now her work is coveted by collectors of this art and expect that it will go for much at auction.

Birch bark basket, from Esy shop /PowwowKids

Baskets made of birch bark can come in many forms, and implement the bark of the tree into the basket making it a craft medium.  These baskets may be accentuated by handmade art, such as the one above or simply entwined with other parts of the tree (as the one below.)  Bitch bark baskets, authentically handmade by artists can run between $25-$75, however the one below is only $9 range because it implements only a small amount of birch in with actual wicker.  Expect to pay less for something that's not purely all birch.   

 

Birch bark basket on etsy has wicker too shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PerfectlyPairedHome

You can listen to the podcast here: