Description: Thesouthern African nation of Botswana is famous for its beautiful baskets(considered to be amongst the finest in Africa) woven in traditional patternsby the women from remote rural areas bordering the Kalahari Desert and theOkavango Delta. Animals and nature influenced the life style of thepeople and were depicted on their baskets. Part of the people’s oraltradition centered around the time of the creation when animals were stillpeople, and the creatures of the bush received their markings. This palmfiber basket was made in the mid-1970s (purchased by the seller in Africa in1979) by the Hambukushu and Bayei women of Ngamiland in the far northern regionof the Okavango Delta near the Angola border (some Hambukushu people enteredBotswana at this time to avoid the warfare in Angola and introduced a newcultural vibrancy). For centuries baskets have been an essential part ofvillage life for them. The intricate abstract designs they makerequire great skill to produce a symmetrical pattern. The traditionaldesigns consisted of a few patterns that portrayed the natural world andwere produced using few colors. The pattern on this basket is known as“Flight of the Swallows,” and it symbolizes good fortune since these birds flyin the triangular pattern depicted on the basket shortly before it rains. This pattern, therefore, commemorates the gift of rain, or “Pula” inSetswana, the most precious gift of all. The basket is woven fromthe fronds of a fan palm, called "Mokola" in Setswana, which growsaround the fringes of islands in the Okavango Delta and which the women splitinto strings for weaving. The fronds are only trimmed so that the treecontinues to grow. While some of the strings are left in their naturalstate, others are boiled in a dye derived from roots harvested for their tanninwhich create the natural colors. Browns are extracted from themagic guarri (Euclea divinorum) and yellows from the red star apple(Diospyros lyciodes). The plain cream-colored palm fronds are thenintertwined with those that are tannin dyed to create the intricate patterns. Botswana baskets are woven using the coil method. A thin bundle ofpalm fiber is used for the interior. A small hole is pierced intothe previously woven row with an awl and a strip of palm is then insertedinto the hole and wrapped around the core. Designs are created by weavingstrips of dyed palm at appropriate intervals. Traditionally, this openoval bowl was used to either winnow grain or to store ground grain or otherfoodstuffs, such as peanuts or mopane worms. This medium-sized basket measures 12 inches indiameter and 5 inches in height. Buy with confidence as theoriginal Botswana tags is still attached to ensure authenticity.
Price: 150 USD
Location: Weston, Massachusetts
End Time: 2023-12-18T19:12:32.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Provenance: Ngamiland
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: Botswana
