Featured Basket Oddity

I could use some help with this one, both in terms of what its intended purpose was, and who would possibly have thought to do this.

It is pot shaped, with 2 swing handles on top, and an open weave. There is a net-like insert in the top of the basket, and an additional lid. With all the openwork, I thought it might be intended as a potpourri of some sort, but I don't understand the purpose of the insert.

The really weird thing is the materials used, which is a combination of steel wire (magnetic) and some type of brown, blue and white plastic tubing. In some places the tubing is simply manipulated like netting or macrame. In the main form, the tubing is wrapped around the wire, covering it, and then bent to the desired shape. It is an insane amount of work.

Anyone seen anything like this?







The insert, top and bottom -


And some details showing the structure -

 

Snake basket; India?

 

I should add that the one that shows up with an image search is the same one. (I bought it on ebay.)

 

....then I'll add , that the sellers pics....are terrible , but the price was right...

Never seen this before , but the skill level insists that there must be others out there.
Nice find !

 

I've never seen anything like it either. Oddity indeed. And cool!

 

Amazing. It is reminiscent of European plasticated wire/tubing baskets, but the technique looks East or SE Asian.