These vintage handwoven baskets are from the Bathonga people in Zimbabwe and Southern Zambia. The baskets made from the Ilala palm leaf start as a woven square and end up almost perfectly round. The pattern on the edging is referred to as “snake’s belly”, as it resembles the scales of a serpent. Palm fibers are died using tree bark to make fibers with different colors.

The baskets were originally used to winnowing grains. Winnowing is an agricultural method developed by ancient cultures for separating grain from chaff, in its simplest form: It involves throwing the mixture into the air so the wind blows away the lighter chaff, whilst the heaviest grains fall back down.  

The patina of these baskets is simply stunning due to use in the field and their age. And they make great wall pieces, especially in a group of several baskets.

dia 67cm