H x W x D: 27.9 x 13.7 x 13.5 cm (11 x 5 3/8 x 5 5/16 in.)
Type:
Textile and Fiber Arts
Geography:
Burundi
Date:
Mid-late 20th century
Label Text:
Basket weaving was once found throughout Rwanda and Burundi, with Tutsi women being the major practitioners. The combination of civil unrest and the introduction of plastics has reduced this tradition but not eliminated it.
Baskets (ibeseke) come in a range of sizes and are used for a variety of purposes, storing everything from grain to small household objects. When adorned with a spray of yellow banana leaves they are used to carry gifts. This basket shows a traditional natural color, without even the use of dark vegetal dyes typical of Burundi.
Description:
Cylindrical plant fiber basket with conical lid in all natural yellow color.
Provenance:
John Kauffman, Anchorage, -- to 1972
Exhibition History:
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
Published References:
Park, Edwards. 1983. Treasures of the Smithsonian. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, p. 382.
Content Statement:
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