Mary Knight Benson (1877–1930) was a

Pomo The Pomo are a Indigenous peoples of California, Native American people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to ...

woman from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

who excelled in basket making. Her work is highly collectible and renowned for fine craftsmanship. She and her husband,

William Ralganal Benson William Ralganal Benson (1862–1937) was an Eastern Pomo basket maker from California. He and his wife Mary Knight Benson (Pomo) excelled in traditional basket making. Their work can be found in the collections of major museums. Early life and ...

(Eastern

, 1862–1937), partnered in basket weaving, and their work is in public museum collections.

Personal life

Mary Knight Benson was born to Sarah Knight, a Central Pomo speaker and master basket weaver. The Pomo people are an

Indigenous people of California Indigenous peoples of California, commonly known as Indigenous Californians or Native Californians, are a diverse group of nations and peoples that are indigenous to the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and afte ...

whose homelands are in the coastal region of

Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

above

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. When she met William Benson, she was already a master basket weaver. William, a speaker of the Eastern Pomo language and also a master basket weaver, was skilled in many other aspects of Pomo culture. The couple lived most of their lives on Pomo tribal territory near Ukiah, California, where William was an elder, band chief, and tribal historian. In 1852, the couple moved to

Salt Lake Valley Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City, Utah, Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably Murray, Utah, Murray, Sandy, Uta ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

. Mary Benson's brother Charles and his family joined the family business in 1852 and traveled to Salt Lake Valley.

Basketry reputation and recognition

The Bensons supported themselves solely by crafting and selling their baskets to collectors and museums. Beginning with the Spanish mission period in California, the Pomo, like other tribes, suffered drastic declines in population, severe cultural destruction, and the loss of land. They began working as laborers on farms and ranches that occupied their own lands. However, a market for their customary baskets opened in the 1880s and lasted until the 1930s, an era known as the "Basket Craze". William and Mary Benson seized this commercial opportunity. Traditionally, Pomo men crafted larger, utilitarian baskets and did not engage in the meticulous work demanded by the market. Mary assisted William in adapting his skills to cater to the demand for finer craftsmanship, a role uncommon for men in Pomo society. She honed her skills to an exceptional level, focusing on perfection in her weaving technique, meticulous material selection, precise lines, intricate diagonals, and elaborate patterns. They traveled widely and developed relationships with collectors and art dealers. The couple demonstrated their weaving skills at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federa ...

in Saint Louis in 1904. They had their exhibit and jointly wove a basket that won the fair's highest award. Baskets made by Mary and William are held in collections of museums such as the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

and the

Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...

. They are known as some of the finest ever woven.

Footnotes

References

Books

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Websites

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Mary Knight Pomo basket weavers Weavers from California Pomo people 20th-century American artists 20th-century American women artists Native American women artists American women basket weavers American basket weavers 1877 births 1930 deaths 20th-century Native American artists 20th-century Native American women