Traditional basket - basketry - Burma - 20th Century

Traditional woven bamboo basket with lid – Southeast Asia, probably Karen region / northern Thailand where Myanmar

Traditional basket made from plant fibers, probably bamboo, crafted in fine wickerwork and consisting of a rounded body, a circular base, two side handles and a removable lid.

The object features unusually fine and regular weaving. The body combines a tight weft with wider vertical bands, while the underside of the lid shows a chevron weave. The surface is dark reddish-brown with a dark, glossy finish evoking a traditional coloration or finish.

The overall form — a strongly bulging body, narrowed base, domed lid and side handles — shows similarities with certain Karen and Shan traditional wicker baskets from the border region between Myanmar and northern Thailand, as well as with certain wickercraft productions in northern Thailand.

Examples preserved in museum collections show Karen basket traditions notably featuring a strongly flared body, a circular base and very tight wickerwork.

Height 19 cm, width including handles 26 cm