Kuba Rattan Lidded Basket

A lidded basket with a herringbone hat and a rich, russet glow.

This lidded basket is Kuba, from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven rattan. Rattan is a climbing palm whose stems are split and woven, giving baskets a strong yet flexible structure that lasts with careful handling. The domed lid is woven in a crisp herringbone pattern, fitting over a rounded-square body with a bound rim. The color runs from warm golden to deeper brown. The weave looks tight and neat, with a smooth sheen. It is 6 inches high and 11 in diameter.

Somebody's patient fingers did all the arithmetic here.