Botswana Basket "Knees of the Tortoise" Pattern 15.5" Diameter x 6.5" Height

Description

The southern African nation of Botswana is famous for its beautiful baskets (considered to be amongst the finest in Africa) woven in traditional patterns by the women from remote rural areas bordering the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta.  Animals and nature influenced the life style of the people and were depicted on their baskets.  Part of the people’s oral tradition centered around the time of the creation when animals were still people, and the creatures of the bush received their markings.  This palm fiber basket was made in the mid-1970s (purchased by the seller in Africa in 1979) by the Hambukushu and Bayei women of Ngamiland in the far northern region of the Okavango Delta near the Angola border (some Hambukushu people entered Botswana at this time to avoid the warfare in Angola and introduced a new cultural vibrancy).  For centuries baskets have been an essential part of village life for them.  The intricate abstract designs they make require great skill to produce a symmetrical pattern.  The traditional designs consisted of a few patterns that portrayed the natural world and were produced using few colors.  The pattern on this basket is known as “Knees of the Tortoise,” and it symbolizes good fortune in the hunt since the Kalahari Tortoise is considered a special delicacy. This pattern imitates the brown and light red rays on the animal’s shell and commemorates the gift of food which will be shared with all the family and all others in the village.
The basket is woven from the fronds of a fan palm, called "Mokola" in Setswana, which grows around the fringes of islands in the Okavango Delta and which the women split into strings for weaving.  On this tightly woven basket, the weaver has carefully alternated strings of brown and red dyed strings with natural cream colored pieces. The fronds are only trimmed so that the tree continues to grow.  While some of the strings are left in their natural state, others are boiled in a dye derived from roots harvested for their tannin which create the natural colors.  Browns are extracted from the magic guarri (Euclea divinorum) and yellows from the red star apple (Diospyros lyciodes).  The plain cream-colored palm fronds are then intertwined with those that are tannin dyed to create the intricate patterns.  Botswana baskets are woven using the coil method.  A thin bundle of palm fiber is used for the interior.  A small hole is pierced into the previously woven row with an awl and a strip of palm is then inserted into the hole and wrapped around the core.  Designs are created by weaving strips of dyed palm at appropriate intervals.  Traditionally, this open oval bowl was used to either winnow grain or to store ground grain or other foodstuffs, such as peanuts or mopane worms.
This deep medium-sized basket has a sculptural flair opening gracefully at the rim and measures 15.5 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches in height.
Buy with confidence as the original Botswana tag is still attached to ensure authenticity.