Producer unknown to us
Carrying basket for children
Americas, Ecuador
1950–1977
Palm fiber, woven
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Erich Wustmann (ethnologist, author) undertook numerous expeditions and journeys to collect items for museums. He sold the acquired objects to the museums in Leipzig and Dresden.
Purchased by Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden from Wustmann on 7 January, 1978
61825
This basket, woven from palm fiber, with a head support band, is a miniature version for children.
The Wao (imposed name: Waorani) are a linguistically isolated community in eastern Ecuador. Their first regular contact with Ecuadorians began in the 1950s. Unlike many Amazonian communities, they have long lived primarily on hillsides away from the rivers, practicing the horticulture of cassava and plantains. Since the late 20th century, some have begun to settle in permanent villages. Other communities continue to reject contact with the outside world. Estimates in 2000 put their number at around 2,500 people.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the ethnologist and author Erich Wustmann (1907–1994) traveled to numerous South American countries, such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. He acquired the basket on this journey.
Frank Usbeck