The Mesob, or basket
an example of cultural transmission and contested history
These are some of the locations that practice African basket weaving.
The pair of baskets, a part of the original collection of the Leland Stanford Junior University Museum, are made of plant fibers and are reported to be from Ethiopia. We will explore the complexity of their origins within this site.
- The dimensions of the first basket on the previous slide are height: 25 cm, weigh: 20 cm.
- The dimensions of the basket pictured are height: 27 cm, length: 22.5 cm.
- They both contain red and purple coloring.
Previous Research from AFRICAST 134: Museum Cultures
Students, Jakob Barrus and Fathuma Mohamed, researched these two baskets previously.
They discovered, through Penn Museum, that a comparable item was labeled as from Ethiopia, but culturally, design-wise, belongs to Somalia.
We can believe that its design could have been influenced by other cultures or that the object could have been made elsewhere, given trade and the close proximity of the two countries. However, there may be many reasons for the design choices, which will be discussed later within this site.
Ethiopian woman weaving a traditional basket in Addis Ababa - June 2015
The process:
- Baskets are made using sisal plant leaves, palm fronds, or grass.
- A common practice is to cut, or even shred, the leaves into thinner, flexible strands.
- A round base is made and a needle- or nail-like tool is used to thread material to create the basket. In some instances, it is done solely by hand.
- Barrus and Mohamed also discovered that materials are dyed using natural means or packets of chemicals.
Sisal plants are actually native to Mexico. The right photo is of palm trees in Bahir Dar, the capital city of Amhara Region of Ethiopia.
Where baskets are used:
As seen in the video on the left, weaved baskets are useful to the cultivation of coffee, being used in the start of the collection process. Ethiopia is the region’s largest producer and consumer of coffee - according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ethiopian Coffee Processing; the coffee plant originates in Ethiopia and the country is responsible for 3% of the global production of coffee.
They are also used in food storage and serving, especially for injera - a traditional bread dish. (Mesob, an Amharic word is understood to mean breadbasket, and many Ethiopian restaurants in America have Mesob within the title, suggesting that there is a very close relationship between food and weaved baskets!)
However, given the size of the artifacts, it cannot be confirmed what was stored within them.
Injera
Going beyond the museum space:
Beyond Borders
The practice of basket weaving is found across the African continent, along with other parts of the world, like North America and the Middle East.
Museums often display items seemingly in a vacuum; however, it is important to recognize how practices exist, transform, and parallel each other.
Therefore, it is important to recognize how these practices exist in relation to each other and how they have changed. Especially in the 21st century, technology has allowed for more cultural transmission. I have created a YouTube playlist of different basket weaving practices to see how technique and design differs across the African diaspora.
Beyond Time
The museum space can also make items feel frozen in time. For these baskets, it is very important that we highlight how this practice is still being done today. According to Penn Museum, the baskets were likely created from between the 1900-1950s; therefore, recent history has impacted why these baskets were created, how they were designed, and why they haven't become the dominant basket design in the present. Given what we know about trade, commerce, and tourism and the difference in design of other baskets used to cultivate coffee and feed families, these baskets could've been created solely for tourists. Since it was speculated that they are reminiscent of Somalian designs, the basket design could've been made to appeal to someone who is well traveled or generally not from the area. Many items from the Leland Stanford Junior University Museum were collected by Jane Stanford in the interest of her young son, which provides a new dimension to this object. Portraying this item solely as a historical artifact would prevent a greater questioning of the baskets' purpose and design. Because it exists in conversation with the traditional practice in the present-day, we are able to tease out more of its significance, even if we don't come to a definite answer.
Beyond design
In researching this object, I was also interested in what makes this an artifact vs art. There is a lot of skill and intention that goes into the design. The assumption is that you don't go through the process of dying something several different colors without a greater significance. How can we honor this object while not placing it in a single category so definitely? Many of these baskets form intricate patterns with many colors and are handcrafted. What if they were meant to show cultural pride? To sport their nation's colors? To reflect their surrounds? To communicate a secret message? What happens when we broaden and complicate our understanding of something that we may take for granted?
What makes this an artifact vs art? Can this be considered art at all?
Beyond the baskets
It is always important to allow African material culture to exist outside of Western Institutions, ways of thinking, and knowledge production. By thinking beyond the museum, we can begin to unravel what we believe and take a more honest look at what is in front of us. We should not take our own knowledge for granted, even if the questions we now ask yield more questions than answers.
