Basket

Item number K4.344 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Data
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Description

Coiled, conical basket with imbricated stitches, false embroidery, watch-spring base construction, splint foundation, and a concave base. Large triangular geometric design in natural brown and dark brown in five horizontal rows.

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 flattened base allows for someone to wear the basket on top of their head. Grass weaving is done by both men and women, but baskets are traditionally woven by most women. Angular, and specifically triangular, patterns are common in Ovimbundu basketry.

Specific Techniques

The dyes used in this basket are dark brown and red-brown. To create brown dye, yellow and red dye are mixed together; shade of brown determined by ratio of red and yellow dyes. Yellow dye is made from roots of wild rhubarb (ocilunguluila). The roots are pounded and placed in cold water with the grasses used to create the coils. Afterwards, the mixture is placed in a fire to boil for half an hour, turning the grasses amber-yellow. Red dye is made by cooking leaves from an evava plant and boiling them in water with bark of the ukondo tree. After they are sufficiently simmered, they are mixed with ash and buried.