Prestige Basketry Lid for Milk Pot or Gourd (Umutemeri)
Tusti people, Rwanda or Burundi
Plant and grass fibers, natural dye, sewn coiling
Early 20th century (1930s or before)
Height: 5 ½” ins (14 cm)
Height: 5 ½” ins (14 cm)
Diameter: 4 ins (10 cm)
The enormous cultural and ritual significance of milk among the cattle-herding societies of Rwanda and Burundi was the impetus behind the creation of magnificent woven fiber lids for the numerous milk containers that were displayed in noble homes, each a work of individual artistry.
This rare object was brought to Belgium in 1935 as part of a large collection of Tutsi ethnographic material.
SOLD