Continuing an occasional theme of outstanding design from unexpected sources
This is a basket made by a member of the Dong minority, from Guizhou province in the South West of China. It's for holding fish caught from the rivers, and is also a fine example of elegant form following practical function.
The basket is worn at the waist, so its maker has given it a flattened profile so that it does not interfere with the wearer's movement.
The curious "twist" to the design is purely for aesthetic reasons: the basket's maker has chosen to cover up half of the supporting struts and just to reveal those traveling from top left to lower right.
Dong baskets have a complex double-walled structure. Inside the basket there is an openwork "frame" of criss-crossing diagonal struts. The outer wall (ie what you can see in the photo) is built around this framework. This makes a very strong container.
Despite being a utilitarian object, I think this stands comparison with sculptural baskets, made as objects of beauty and for ikebana, by modern Japanese artists.
This is a basket made by a member of the Dong minority, from Guizhou province in the South West of China. It's for holding fish caught from the rivers, and is also a fine example of elegant form following practical function.
The basket is worn at the waist, so its maker has given it a flattened profile so that it does not interfere with the wearer's movement.
The curious "twist" to the design is purely for aesthetic reasons: the basket's maker has chosen to cover up half of the supporting struts and just to reveal those traveling from top left to lower right.
Dong baskets have a complex double-walled structure. Inside the basket there is an openwork "frame" of criss-crossing diagonal struts. The outer wall (ie what you can see in the photo) is built around this framework. This makes a very strong container.
Despite being a utilitarian object, I think this stands comparison with sculptural baskets, made as objects of beauty and for ikebana, by modern Japanese artists.
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