Telephone Wire Art. LARGE COVERED BASKET WITH WOVEN INSCRIPTIONS. Multi-colored telephone wire, 1973. 10 inches high, including cover, 11 inches in diameter. Woven into the design around the center of the bowl, "John and Mary Machado;" woven into the design of the coverm "Saigon, Vietnam, 1973." From what we have learned, the art of weaving basketry colored telephone wire was developed by the Zulu people of South Africa in the early 1970s; we have not learned of any similar tradition in Viet Nam going back to 1973; we have not, in searching the offerings of importers of this ware found anything as large and complex as this covered basket. We are thus at some loss to know if this object was made in Viet Nam in 1973, or made later in South Africa as a custom commemorative item for the buyer. Regardless, an exceptional exampe of this craft, in excellent condition.
