WARAO COIL BASKET SET OF TWO HAND WOWEN TRIBAL ART VENEZUELA NEW W/TAGS

Description

Set of two star shaped borders
Baskets
handcrafted with natural Moriche fibers by Warao artisan Magdalena Valderrey, Orinoco Delta River, Venezuela.
New with tags.
The larger basket measures approx. 7 3/4 inches (22 cm) at the top
across
widest point including stars and 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm) without stars. Stands x 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) tall.
The small basket measures approx. 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) at the top
across
widest point including stars and 4 1/4 inches (11 cm) without stars. Stands x 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) tall.
Each tag reads in Spanish "Unique piece made with natural fibers by a Warao artisan. The Warao – water people- is an ancient indigenous people living in the Orinoco River Delta, Venezuela. They are discreet, friendly and touchingly simple people"
Artisan: Magdalena Valderrey -
Community: Wakajanta I -
Fiber: Moriche.
The Warao's handcraft is inspired by the world around them and their need for survival. Traditionally they made baskets for food gathering, storage and transporting. Mostly made from Moriche palm considered their "tree of life" from which their survival depends. Processing of fibers is a hard work. The leaves are cut from the Moriche palm tree, dried for several weeks, crushed into fine fibers, boiled and dried in the sun. The fibers are then twisted into very fine threads and wrap around a coil of a palm branch. This technique offers the strongest and tightest weaves.