Tutsi Agaseki or Ibeseke Basket

A tall pointed lid with a stray tail of twine, as if the basket forgot to tuck it in.

This agaseki or ibeseke basket is Tutsi, from Rwanda, East Africa, and dates to the 20th century. Rwandan baskets are often finished with geometric patterns, usually created by wrapping coils in dyed or naturally contrasting fibers so the design follows the curve of the form. The lid rises in a long honey-colored cone, finely coiled, with a loose strand of twine trailing from its tip. Below, a tapered body carries black stepped and hooked bands running in uneven rows around the belly. It is 8.5 inches high and 3.25 in diameter.

Tidy weaving, with one loose end left for personality.