Vintage Old Rattan Betel Nut Gathering Basket, Lombok Island, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. (Lime betel paraphernalia) (Mid 20th Century) 10 ½” X 9 ¾” X 7”

  • $225.00
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Vintage Old Rattan Betel Nut Gathering Basket, Lombok Island, Nusa Tenggara (Mid 20th C.) 

Utilitarian plaited gathering baskets with wooden bases (rattan & wood), such as this one, were hand crafted to collect betel nuts in the forest among other things, and then to take to market to sell them there, sometimes they were used for coffee picking as well. This particular one contained betel nuts when we purchased it from the owner.

These baskets were very strong, light and portable. The necessary materials were available from the fields and the forest. They could be worked on whenever there was a bit of spare time. Here, a hand twined bark string is attached to 2 tiny woven loops on each side.

Good condition.  ITEM 300A100

Size: 10 ½” X 9 ¾” X 7”

Please look at photos carefully, they speak louder thasn words!

Such baskets are still made today, but as elsewhere, the quality has gone down because time is less available to achieve perfection.  Our baskets were collected some 30 years ago, when great pride was still taken in weaving a container.

First gathering of rattan took place, fibers were split and dyed, then the basket was constructed. Under the shade of a thatch roof  or tree, men sat and talked as they cut the end of the rattan to a sharp point, used a small awl to pierce the previous coil of the basket, then pushed the fiber through, drawing it around the coil again and again. This process required tough fingertips.

Rattan (rotan), a wild palm vine, is often used for its durability. The tough, inner core of the vine is coiled to form the main superstructure of a basket, while the outer skin is peeled off in fine, flexible strips for weaving the covering coils of the basket together. Others are constructed of stained split bamboo and bark.

Such baskets are in demand as collectors appreciate the fine work, quality and technique of the master weavers of the island. Lombok baskets are exceptional examples of a utilitarian tradition combined with art and uniqueness to create an expertly woven product that is extremely decorative as well. Each basket is unique.

All our collector and rare items come with pages and pages of research about provenance, and with history of the tribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. When shipping internationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and find the best rates available. If you have any questions or want to see research conducted on this piece and photos of tribes, tell us.