Museum Piece Antique Egyptian MARGUNAH SIWA OASIS MARRIAGE BASKET Coil Weave Lid

Description

EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITY: MARGUNAH SIWA OASIS MARRIAGE BASKET
I have only been able to locate one other antique marriage basket like the one I am listing at auction.  The other is currently housed at the British Museum in the Egyptian antiquities department and was donated to the museum in 1994 by an Italian woman. Below you will find an email response from the assistant keeper at the museum in Britain as well as their online record of the basket they possess.  Please also feel free to contact me with any additional information.  Many thanks!
The Siwa Oasis became famous a long time ago.  Around 2600 in Pharaonic times, the Amun Ra Temple was erected in the region.
If you do a little research, you will find that Nomad is trying to revive the tradition of Margunah basket weaving by working with different families from Siwa to create replicas of the traditional basket I am listing.  On the Nomad website they note that the traditional baskets have become "
extinct
" and in the past they have sold the new replicas for 0 to 0 each, although they have all been out of stock for the last few years as the replicas are not even being created anymore.
A few quotes I have found online:
"Margunah ( special basket from straw) is used during marriage ceremony. Regrettably, the intricate
and detailed work have totally disappeared from Siwa due to modernization."
"
Siwa, the site of Amun’s historical oracle ( Amun), is one of the 5 oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt. Siwa is residence to unique gorgeous designs, scarves and valuable silver jewelry . Nearly all of these products either disappearing or have by now faded because of to modernization."
-----Original Message-----
From: Egyptian <>
To: tracy <>
Sent: Thu, Aug 25, 2016 3:40 am
Subject: RE: Margunah Siwa Oasis Marriage Basket
Dear Tracy
I regret that we are unable to offer valuations of objects. I suggest that you take your object to a reputable antiquities dealer or contact one of the major auction houses, Bonhams, Sothebys or Christies for example.
Yours sincerely
Derek Wesley
Assistant Keeper (Curator) on duty
Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan
From:
tracy
Sent:
25 August 2016 07:12
To:
Central Archive; Information; Egyptian
Subject:
Margunah Siwa Oasis Marriage Basket
Hello.
I am writing to request information regarding the Margunah Siwa Oasis Marriage Basket pictured below. I own an identical basket and was hoping to date and value it.
Many thanks,
Tracy Simon
marriage equipment / basket
Museum number-
Af1994,14.1
Description
Marriage basket (with lid); coiled of vegetable fibre; basket with rounded bottom, nearly vertical sides; cone-shaped lid attached to basket with twisted fibre cord; twisted fibre carrying strap; sides of basket decorated with geometric designs imbricated in cotton thread in four bands running vertically, with piece of leather at top of each band; lid decorated with multicoloured cotton tassels.
Date
20thC (?)
Production place
Made in Siwa Oasis (Africa,Egypt,Siwa Oasis)
Technique
Coiled Basketry
Acquisition name         Donated by Stella Pietro
Acquisition date
1994
Department
Africa, Oceania & the Americas
Registration number
Af1994,14.1