Notes

The start of this basket is a true weaving technique because the warp and weft elements are interwoven at right angles using an over-one-under-one weaving style. This technique is called chequer weave or checkerwork. The Ndonga women call this oshiyalelo. The body of this coiled basket is made with the technique called close simple over-sewing over one row of the core.

Contrary to most weavers in southern Africa, the Owambo weavers use a needle instead of an awl. They thread the needle with a very thin strip of palm and pull the needle through the coil in a sewing motion rather than poking a hole in the coil with an awl. They say the Finnish missionaries taught them this technique. Also in contrast to other weavers, the Owambo basketmakers do not first boil or ‘cook’ the natural palm after collecting it, whether they intend to dye it or not. Rather, they dry the cut leaves in the shade. The very dark brown colour is obtained by boiling the palm leaves with pounded charcoal and Berchemia discolor (omuye) bark. To make the colour even darker, the dyed palm leaves are left in a tin with cold water for several days. The yellow-mustard dye colour is made from the roots of the ompindigwongwali shrub (not identified). The light pink colour is created by simmering the palm leaves with the leaves and stalks of sorghum having red ‘rust’.

- Dr Elizabeth Terry

Provenance

Dr Elizabeth Terry Collection.