Basket

Marriage basket.

Large woven basket has a short bulbous body (part a), angling sharply in and upwards at the base. The round pedestal foot sits inside the body perimeter, only partially visible in profile. It is decorated with a single ring of cowrie shells. To the basket are attached four strips of hide, each with three rows of cowrie shells attached. The strips are long and thin, holding the lid (part b) to the body of the basket. The lid is round and wide, with an inset lip allowing it to sit snugly on top of the basket body. The lid rises to a high centre protrusion reminiscent of a chimney. Body and lid are decorated with dyed grass, dark brown and red, in concentric V-shapes.