Basket with Black Overlay

Label

With a mix of natural materials, this basket is representative of the versatility found in Filipino weaving. Typically made from lowland materials such as bamboo or rattan, baskets such as this one had both utilitarian and aesthetic value. On the upper portion of the basket, wide splints are twilled between the main brown wood, and black strips are overlayed. On the lower portion, the pieces are woven in a vertical pattern to reinforce the lower structure. Beyond its structural composition, however, little is known about this basket; this lack of information was not uncommon for work from this period. With a primary emphasis on utility, baskets were usually left undated and unsigned. Consequently, these vessels, often passed through different hands, were community contributions to developing global and cultural exchange. This basket echoes the history of the tea strainer by Filipino makers also on view.

Written by Ellie Brown, ‘25

From the 2023 exhibition Faith and Empire: The Legacy of Conversion and Commerce in the Early Modern World, curated by students of ARTH 20.04, "Faith and Empire: Art in the Early Modern World" taught by Elizabeth Rice Mattison, Andrew W. Mellon Associate Curator of Academic Programming

Course History

Art History 20.04, Faith and Empire, Beth Mattison, Spring 2023

Exhibition History

Faith and Empire: The Legacy of Conversion and Commerce in the Early Modern World, Class of 1967 Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, August 12-December 23, 2023.

Provenance

Source unknown; catalogued, 1962.

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