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Zulu Basket

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:50.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Zulu Basket
17" diameter Isiquabetho. A large basin-shaped basket used for gathering and carrying grain. The smaller bowls are used for serving and drying foods such as beans, fruit or nuts. This basket is made from leaves of the Ilala Palm which grows along the North-Eastern Coast of KwaZulu. All colors are natural, obtained from boiling roots, leaves, berries and bark of indigenous flora. This basket is tones of cream (natural), brown and black. The design includes "the Assegais of Shaka", a zig-zag pattern (masculine) and "The Shields of Shaka", a series of diamonds pattern (feminine). The Zulus are the largest tribe in Southern Africa, renowned for their artistry and craftsmanship. Dotted on the rolling hills of KwaZulu, there exists a beehive of industry, where numerous women work at the art of basketry. They have taken the traditional art form and turned it into a way in which to supplement their incomes, and in many cases their only means of income. The women work in their homes, where they can assimilate basket-making into their normal routine - giving themselves time to raise their children, work in the fields, collect water and other daily chores. Every basket is made by hand, using indigenous raw materials, and the type of basket varies from area to area, depending on the availability of raw materials, and the use to which the basket is to be put. It can take up to one month to produce a medium-sized basket that will be unique in size, shape, pattern, weave and color. This basket is a true collectors item.