DAT SO LA LEE (LOUISA KEYSER), 1850 -1925

Better known as Dat So La Lee, Louisa Keyser (1850 -1925) was a Washoe basketmaker who is universally recognized as the greatest of all basketmakers. From 1895 to 1925, her work was sold by the Emporium Company in Carson City, Nevada. The owners of the Emporium Company, Abe and Amy Cohn, were her sponsors as well as her sales representatives. Louisa and her husband Charlie Keyser lived in their own home next door to the Cohns residence. That they recognized her work as outstanding and in a category by itself is indicated by the fact that Keyser's works had their own ledger and cataloguing system in their inventory, apart from the other Native goods that they sold.

The fluorescence of Native American basketry peaked during the span of Dat So La Lee's career and her art is the pinnacle of that period. These masterpieces are found in museums throughout this country but seldom come to market. Her mastery of design and execution makes her work instantly recognizable. This basket is referred to in Emporium Company literature as "Myriads of Stars Shine over the Graves of Our Ancestors. A Dat-So-La-lee Masterpiece".