This is an antique African made basket which was hand woven in West Africa by the Hausa women of Nigeria who have a long history as basket weavers. This Hausa basket was traded to the Yoruba tribal people who embellished it by sewing on rows of cowrie shells and applying a strip of leather around the top rim of the basket and a round piece of leather on the bottom outer base of the basket. Good rustic antique tribally used condition with the Hausa basket having some embedded dirt and wear to the inside. Also, there is one missing cowrie shell and two loose shells. This Hausa basket with Yoruba cowrie shell embellishment and leather additions measures 10 inches diameter across the top from one side to the other and is 5 inches tall with a circumference of 32 inches around the top edge of the basket. This antique basket weighs 1 pounds and 10 ounces.

 This Hausa basket was made using the traditional Hausa woven coiled method so it is tightly woven. Natural dyes are used to create the colored patterns on these tightly coiled woven baskets. The Hausa people are concentrated mainly in northwestern Nigeria near the Yoruba tribal people who also weave grass baskets but traditionally decorate them with cowrie shells and leather. I combine shipping on multiple buys so check out my eBay store Mountainamma's Marketplace where I have thousands of items to browse through.