Sun Bear

My basket making has been influenced lately by my son's travels with Semester at Sea. Before he arrives at a port I research where he is going and what he might see. I often watch videos on YouTube to try and get a feel for the area that he will be visiting. What did we ever do without the internet and YouTube? I feel like I get to virtually travel to all the places that he is getting to see in person.

I discovered the sun bear on my latest research. I had never heard of this bear before and was fascinated by the differences from the North American bears that I have seen. It has short dark brown-black fur, except on the chest, where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. It has a very long narrow tongue and inward-turned feet making the bear's walk pigeon toed. The sun bear is also know as the honey bear, because of its fondness for honey.  I hope my son gets to see this unique creature on his travels.

I made this handled basket while thinking about my son when he was traveling in Malaysia and Vietnam. I used natural brown and dyed rust/orange Long Leaf pine needles, earth tone orange artificial sinew, brown goldstone bear fetish, round and drop nugget beads, black walnut shell slices and a rust/brown agate base. Enjoy!