Temple Basket c. 20th century

This Temple Basket was carefully woven with natural fibres by an anonymous artist. Think of the hours spent interlacing each strand, feeling the textures, coaxing form from these humble materials. It’s like drawing with thread, building up layers, line by line. I wonder about the maker, about their hands, their world, and their intention. Did they start with a clear vision, or did the form emerge through the process itself? The dark rim tightly fastens the pale vertical ribs, while the zigzagging white border sings. This basket reminds me that art-making is a form of embodied expression. It’s a physical conversation between the artist and their materials that embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, and ultimately, invites us to engage in a similar process of questioning and discovery.