Basket

Item number K4.153 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

Conical basket that has a linear geometric design in black on natural colour, creating an eight petal-like flower design. The foot is of poorer quality than the rest of the basket and of different material, presumably it is not original to the basket.

History Of Use

Woman’s field, or burden, basket (ohumba); used to carry harvested crops and agricultural tools, such as a hoe and pounder. The raised and hollowed base of this basket allows it to be worn on top of the head. Grass weaving is done by both men and women, but baskets are traditionally woven by most women. Angular, particiulary triangular, and ecological motifs are common in Ovimbundu baskets.

Specific Techniques

Basket is made using a coiling process; likely this basket is tilted due to an inconsistency in coil thickness. Dye used in this basket is black. Black dye is made when the leaves of evava are mixed in a solution of iron obtained from stagnant muddy pools. Grasses are placed into the evava-iron solution and boiled to darken. It can be darkened further by boiling the solution again with the addition of pounded ungalo leaves.