COUNTER-BALANCE LOOM

1916

1992.26.01

Amanda Perala Kraftenberg (c. 1882-1952) wove together Finnish cultural practices and the Treasure State's natural heritage to create a uniquely Montana home for her family. She and her husband Fred homesteaded near Little Belt Creek in the Korpivaara (or "Wilderness Hill") community in Cascade County. From 1916 until her death in 1952, Amanda wove a variety of items on this four-harness counter-balance loom, which was made by John "Jack" Veeda out of pine and willow harvested from the nearby Highwood mountains. Kraftenberg's textile work was exceptional not only because of her skill as a weaver, but also because she used yarn she had washed, carded, and spun from wool gathered form sheep raised on her family's ranch. Consequently, the rag rugs she wove exemplified both Finnish traditions and the "ingenuity, resourcefulness, and rugged individualism" she demonstrated in making the most out of available resources.