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Basket
Not on view
Kongo lidded baskets in a variety of cylindrical and rectangular forms were woven by women. In this example, black supplementary fibers highlight the bold graphic design of a deconstructed interlace that branches around the exterior. In Kongo society, such containers served as receptacles for precious goods and were also presented as ambassadorial gifts. This basket, likely created for export, was first exhibited in 1894 at the Insular and Colonial Exhibition presented at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal.
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