Posted 6 years ago
Illustra.el
(2 items)
These were purchased in Waco, Texas, and I know absolutely nothing about them, but they are so interesting that I just need to know more. I haven't seen another basket with the square design in the middle - I'm assuming it may have been used for sifting.
They are African, made in the Binga region of Zimbabwe by basket weavers of the Tonga tribe. Usually found on the web under a search for Tonga/Binga baskets. (Not to be confused with Tongan baskets from the South Pacific island of Tonga...totally unrelated cultures.)
Oh, thank you! I was beginning to suspect they weren't Native American based on the weave and the central square pattern. I would never have guessed African but definitely see it now. Mystery solved :)