Handwoven Basket Rwanda Appraisal

Agaseke (Peace Basket) - Rwandan/East African Style

This is a hand-woven basket featuring an elegant, elongated hourglass or flared profile, characteristic of East African weaving traditions, specifically known as 'Agaseke' or peace baskets from Rwanda and Burundi. The vessel is constructed using a fine coiling technique with natural fibers—likely sisal or grass—woven over a structural core. The color palette consists of a dark charcoal or dyed black primary ground, accented with horizontal bands of terracotta orange and natural straw yellow. The patterns include solid stripes, diagonal hatching, and rhythmic zigzag motifs that wrap around the circumference of the piece. Physically, the basket features a wide, funnel-like mouth that tapers into a central neck before rounding out at the base. The rim is finished with a distinct orange coiled edge, providing structural integrity. Regarding condition, the piece appears well-maintained with tight weave tension, though there is a slight lack of perfect symmetry in the rim, which is characteristic of handmade ethnographic art. No significant fiber loss, fraying, or staining is immediately visible in the image. The craftsmanship is of high quality, indicative of mid-to-late 20th-century or contemporary production for either functional storage or decorative art markets.