Unusual Folk Art (Real) Star Fish Basket! plymouth england So many boxes out there

So many boxes out there of tintype portraits to rummage through

and for me there is something very special feeling about these that comes through the combination of simple geometry + strong color + hand-stitched linen + knotted ties on wooden posts + utilitarian function + many years of use and exposure to the elements

a bit of spotting/toning here and there

I have done a good bit of searching but can only find one mention of them out there: there are a few boxes of these held in the collection of the National Building Museum in Washington

Unusual Folk Art (Real) Star Fish Basket! plymouth england So many boxes out thereA curious one, which I purchased from a dealer in Nashville named Kitty Saylor, my favorite name ever and just right I think for someone offering up a starfish basket! It is a real and large starfish that forms the basket here, its underbelly (basket interior) painted a now mellow gold, and its exterior coated in a dark brown stain varnish. The handle is wood, with what appears to be a vine wrapping it tightly, all stained and varnished too, and with