Collection

Traditional and Contemporary Craft

While the history of the formal visual arts in the Cayman Islands stretches back only several decades, the Islands have enjoyed a rich heritage of silver thatch craft and other decorative objects for centuries. Families walked miles into the bush to collect bundles of silver thatch palm (Coccothrinax proctorii), called tops, and developed a unique notch plaiting method of weaving the thatch strips into ribbons. Basketry was creative, skilful, and highly individualised, and women also “laid rope” to make objects that men at sea exchanged for goods. The National Gallery collection begins with these art objects in an effort to better frame and contextualise more recent artistic developments. Many of the beautiful craft items featured were commissioned by the National Gallery and are subsequently more contemporary and experimental in style than their historical counterparts.