Basketry
Birch Bark Containers: North American and Scandinavian
Course Overview
In this class we will create two different birch bark boxes, one based on a classic style produced throughout the birch forests of North America by native peoples, and another typical birch bark container produced throughout the Scandinavian countries. The North American style is created from a single sheet of birch bark, which is folded and stitched to create the open-top container. The Scandinavian style is created by forming a cylinder of birch bark and fastening a round wooden base into the bottom along with a removal top. Differences in form and fabrication given the environment that existed when these containers were commonly produced will be discussed.