A FINE BI-CORNUAL BASKET

Property of a Private Gentlemen's Club

This basket is in very fine condition and appears to have no repairs or restoration. The pandanus looped handle has broken off and there is a small segment of cane broken just below where the handle is attached.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Cf. For an extensive discussion of the history, construction methods and use of Queensland rainforest baskets see J. Ewington, 'Working the River: Baskets of the rainforest,' and D. Henry, with T. Johnson, 'Jawun: An Interview with Desley Henry', in the Queensland Art Gallery's catalogue of the exhibition, Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and The Rainforest, 2003, and H. Morphy, Aboriginal Art, London: Phaidon, 1998, p.347, p.341, pl.231, in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, illus.

Morphy states: 'The two-cornered baskets made from lawyer cane are striking and elegant objects. The mouth of the basket is circular; the body opens out with curved lines ending in sharply pointed corners. The form seems to be the architectural product of a mathematical formula combining strength with flexibility, a highly complex form based on simple principles'. (ibid, p.347)

Jawun or bi-cornual baskets are unique in the range of basketry made by Indigenous Australians. The baskets are made by the people in the rainforest area from around Cooktown in the north to the Cardwell area in the south on the eastern coast of Far North Queensland. Historically, they were made by men and used by women, although in more recent times women have made them too. Jawun have a variety of purposes: they are used as carrying baskets with the handle looped around the forehead; as fish traps in rivers where the horns of the baskets allow them to be wedged between sticks or rocks; and as sieves to leach out toxic substances from a variety of bush food. The larger Jawun were also used for carrying babies. Painted baskets were made for special occasions such as funerals and the designs relate to those found on Queensland rainforest shields.