Woven Legacies: Innovation & Tradition

Timed Online Auction, 2 - 24 February 2025

Vintage baskets from southern Africa: The collection of Dr Elizabeth Terry
About the Session

This selection of vintage baskets comes from the collection of Dr.Elizabeth Terry, a social scientist with a special interest in craft development. It marks a historic moment, being the first time a collection of this kind has come to market. Originating from Southern and Central Africa, these baskets demonstrate how everyday objects—once used for practical purposes like storing food, sifting grain, and carrying goods—transform over time into cultural artifacts and works of art.


  • Unrecorded artist, Tjiretjire Peoples; Tjiretjire (San) collecting basket, 1989
  • Unrecorded artist, Tjiretjire Peoples; Tjiretjire (San) collecting basket, 1989


Lot Estimate
ZAR 2 000 - 3 000
Location
Cape Town
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About this Item

Central District, Botswana 20th century
Tjiretjire (San) collecting basket, 1989
Grewia flava bark (moretlwa) for binding material and bundled grass for the core with 'V-shape' design
9cm high, 26,5cm diameter

Notes

This basket was bought from a San woman in the Serowe area of Botswana. It was woven with a coiling technique using open simple oversewing that intentionally exposes the core material, which in this case is grass. This method also saves on the wrapping material, which is important if not readily available. The binding material has not been dyed, the brown is the outside of the Grewia flava bark (moretlwa) while the white is the inside of the bark.

- Dr Elizabeth Terry

Provenance

Dr Elizabeth Terry Collection.

View all Unrecorded artist, Tjiretjire Peoples lots for sale in this auction