A North Queensland Rainforest Bi-Cornual Basket, 0.19809

natural earth pigments on woven lawyer cane

42 x 32 x 37 cm

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Artwork story: This two-cornered basket made from lawyer cane has a circular mouth with a body that opens out with curved lines ending in sharply pointed corners. These baskets are rare and were made by the people in the rainforest area from around Cooktown in the north, to the Cardwell area in the south on the eastern coast of Cape York. Their form combines strength with flexibility. Historically, they were made by men and women. Referred to in the local language as Jawun, they had a variety of purposes: they were used as carrying baskets with the handle looped around the forehead; as fish traps in rivers where the horns of the baskets allowed them to be wedged between sticks or rocks; and as sieves to leach out toxic substances from a variety of bush foods. Provenance Private Collection, VIC Lawson-Menzies, Sydney, NSW, May 2007, Lot No. 84 Menzies Estate Collection, VIC

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natural earth pigments on woven lawyer cane

42 x 32 x 37 cm

Enquire for price

Artwork story: This two-cornered basket made from lawyer cane has a circular mouth with a body that opens out with curved lines ending in sharply pointed corners. These baskets are rare and were made by the people in the rainforest area from around Cooktown in the north, to the Cardwell area in the south on the eastern coast of Cape York. Their form combines strength with flexibility. Historically, they were made by men and women. Referred to in the local language as Jawun, they had a variety of purposes: they were used as carrying baskets with the handle looped around the forehead; as fish traps in rivers where the horns of the baskets allowed them to be wedged between sticks or rocks; and as sieves to leach out toxic substances from a variety of bush foods. Provenance Private Collection, VIC Lawson-Menzies, Sydney, NSW, May 2007, Lot No. 84 Menzies Estate Collection, VIC