Vintage Colorful African Beaded Basket

A lidded basket worn like a jewel: the whole body is covered in tiny beads worked in deep olive green, with bands of white, red and black forming X-shaped crosses, diamonds and fine zigzag borders. The lid rises in stepped tiers, each ringed with its own beaded pattern, and finishes in a small rounded knob. Lift it off and the inside is a tightly coiled woven basket, finished with a warm copper-orange rim that contrasts beautifully with the dark beadwork. Beaded baskets like this take enormous patience, with every bead set by hand over a woven foundation. At 6" in diameter and 10" tall with the lid on, it has real sculptural height for a shelf, console, side table or bookcase, and it works equally well as a small lidded keepsake container. The jewel-like color and geometric rhythm suit modern, bohemian and collected interiors alike. Specifications Era: Vintage Origin: Africa Material: Beadwork over coiled basketry Dimensions: 6" diameter x 10" H with lid Color: Olive green with white, red and black beadwork Details: Stepped tiered lid with knob finial, X and diamond motifs, woven interior with copper-orange rim Condition: Vintage, sound, light age-appropriate wear Use: Decorative lidded basket, keepsake container This vintage African beaded lidded basket measures 6 inches in diameter and 10 inches tall with its lid. It is covered in olive-green beadwork with white, red and black X and diamond patterns, has a stepped lid with a knob finial, and a woven interior with a copper-orange rim. It is a decorative and storage piece available from DE-COR in Pasadena with trade pricing for designers. Q: Is it a working container? A: Yes, for light, small things. The lid lifts off and the woven interior holds keepsakes, jewelry or similar small objects. It is best kept as a display piece, since heavy or sharp objects could stress the beadwork, and handling it by the body keeps the lid knob safe. Q: Why is it described only as African, not a specific group? A: Beaded baskets with X, diamond and zigzag patterns appear in several African beadwork traditions, and without documented provenance we prefer not to guess a specific people or region. We describe what we can see and verify, and we will update the listing if provenance becomes available. • **Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio.