Title: Open-Bowl Basket
Material: Cut and died Ilala palm fronds
People: Zulu
Country: South Africa
Description:
This exceptional Zulu basket is from our own private collection.
We collected this basket 30+ years ago and have since, never
seen a similar basket in this size and quality.
The Isiquabetho is a large basin-shaped basket, and this is a magnificent example of an older Zulu basket.
The Zulu people of South Africa are long
renowned for their craftsmanship and make some of the
finest baskets in the world.
Dotted on the rolling hills of Kwazulu, numerous women
work at the art of basketry. They have taken the traditional
art form and turned it into a way in which to supplement their
incomes, in many cases their only means of income. The
women work in their homes where they can assimilate basket-
making into their normal routine giving themselves time to
raise their children, work in the fields, collect water and work on
other daily chores.
Every basket is made by hand using indigenous raw materials and
the type of basket varies from area to area, depending on the
availability of the raw materials and the use to which the basket is
to be put.
It can take up to four-months to produce a larger-sized
basket that will be unique in size, shape, pattern, weave and color.
The intricate patterns are achieved by interweaving natural ilala
palm frond with dyed palm strands.
Dimensions: 36" diameter
