Notes

Kebaletile Ntireleng was born in Kaxwantsha but later moved with her family to Manxotae. In 1991, at the time this basket was made, she was already over 60 years old. She would make open baskets (totwana) and manki-style baskets with lids. She liked to make really big open baskets, some even over 60 centimetres in diameter.

The coiling technique here uses close simple over-sewing with two rows stacked, using bundles of grass for the core. Typically, the ‘right’ side of the basket rather than the ‘wrong’ side faces the weaver. This means that the outside of a closed, lidded container would face the basketmaker, while the inside of an open bowl-shaped basket would face the weaver. In contrast, the San basketmakers, make open bowl-shaped baskets with the outside facing them. The natural palm colour becomes grey by soaking the leaves in rusty water (from tin cans or a chain) for a few days.

- Dr Elizabeth Terry

Provenance

Dr Elizabeth Terry Collection.