African or Native American, Basket is old but ?

HI, have a basket that I picked up about 20 years ago. The woman I purchased it from was elderly and could not remember where she had gotten it. I am thinking it is African, mostly because of the rim work, Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome, Jana. The member to ask is @komokwa

 

ok how do I do that? please

 

I 'tagged' him for you. Next time he comes on to the site he'll see he's needed. He tends to be a night owl. People here are all over the globe, so allow some time for an answer.

 

thank you! Appreciate it!

 

@2manybooks and @Taupou will probably know too. I have just tagged them.

 

thank you also!!

 

It is a well made basket. My guess is that it is from southern Africa, but I am not sure. The spaced, overcast stitching is used in baskets from that region,and the start at the center of the base sometimes occurs there. The stitching fiber looks like a consistent material, dyed for the dark design rather than using a different material for the color.

Coiled baskets are so widely made that it can be difficult to place them unless you can positively identify the materials used. Taupou and Komokwa may be able to tell you more.

 

The definitive key to identifying any basket is determining the material that it is made from, which is often difficult, takes hands-on experience, and is difficult to learn just from photos. But everything else (form, technique, design, etc.) can be copied by any competent basket maker, anywhere.

The rather dull finish is important here, because it identifies this as being made from palm fiber, which differs from the materials that a similar Native American basket would be made from. So that, along with the different stitch used to join the top coils, and the way it is started, mean that it is African, most likely Zulu or a neighboring tribe, from South Africa.

 

Nothing I can add but , nice basket !!

 

Thank you for your replies. I really felt it was African. It is a solid piece with weight. It is a nice basket, but does have some staining in the bottom.. I believe as I recall the woman I purchased it from said she had a plant in it at one time...EEK! lol. Ill try to figure out a value, downsizing lots of items, and this one just wasn't sure about. Many thanks for all your help!