Minneapolis Institute of Art

Basket

Unidentified

Date

early 20th century

Medium

Fibers, leather, beads, cowrie shells, cloth

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This Somali wedding basket was given to the bride on her wedding day. It would become a place to store personal items, such as jewelry, but first it would be used for a playful wedding-day ritual. Filled with treats, the basket would be covered and tied shut with string. Male guests, including the groom, would then compete to open it within a certain amount of time. In the end, the groom was expected to win—the tied basket being a metaphor for his wife. Somalia, Africa

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