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Handwoven Grain Storage Basket from Laos
[anc063lu]
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I found two of these wonderful baskets on a trip to SE Asia a few years ago and am pleased to present the second and only one I have left for bidding. This beautifully woven household grain basket is from Laos. Because of the continual reliance on woven baskets, and because of the wet weather in the region, old baskets don't have a long life, despite their durable construction. Coming across an old basket like this that has had the history to attain it's patina and still remain in such fine shape is difficult. Only old baskets will have the patina you see on this example. The acquired patina also actually makes the woven ware more resilient, prolonging the life of the basket. Over time, the baskets collect the oily smoke from cooking fires or from oils from the hand or goods carried in the basket creating the much desired patina.
This basket is woven of bamboo, rattan, and wood. The square wood foot functions as a stable base, and long strips of bamboo, carefully chosen to avoid the nodes, are woven in the one-over-two technique to form the basket. Attractive rattan braids have been woven along the sides to bamboo reinforcements adding strength. These baskets are sometimes so ladden with grain that they bulge at the sides, this reinforcement helps the basket to maintain the straight shape. The top is finished in braided rattan as well, to complete this basket beautifully. Care and craftsmanship are very evident, despite the purely utilitarian purposes these baskets served. A quarter down from the rim, one finds a band with a braided rattan handle. This tightly woven handle is for tethering rope should the owner of the basket need to strap it to his back, shoulder, or waist.
Handwoven bamboo, 9" diameter and 10" tall. Laos, late 20th century.
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$90.00
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