Origin of basket?

I have had it forever, but just rediscovered it in a box.
It squashes flat, so it's stuffed with plastic bags to photograph.
The top is not really scalloped - it's just misshapen.
It is about 7" high, and about 8" across.
I notice it also has at least one small hole in the close-up of the top.

New? Old? African? North American?

 

Not NA.
The fiber looks like Sisal ,
maybe African ??

 

You're asking me?! heeheehee
I have no idea whatsoever.

All I can say is that it is fairly tightly woven.

 

Thought I would bump this in case.

 

Agreeing with komokwa on the sisal (like twine)
Looks to me like crochet rather than "woven"
I have no clue as to origin
Does it look like it had handles?

 

It *may* have, but I don't think so.

Does sisal come in such fine gauge? Because this is hardly any (if at all) thicker than old fashioned button thread.

 

That thin, huh? I've had sisal / agave washcloths that were pretty thin but not as thin as button thread.

The close-up photo looks very similar to the sisal twine that I use to knit back scrubbing straps ... but my stuff is about 2mm thick.

Maybe jute - like what is used in a burlap bag?
Is it scratchy or soft?

 

It can be very thin....but is still a coarse fiber.
I'm sure that item is not soft to the touch.

 

Indeed it is not soft.
One could exfoliate right down to the bone with it!

 

that's why it's used for shower mitts too !

 

I have had shower mitts (until I realized how gross that they get - and quickly too!), but they are thicker than this.
This would make a good "hair shirt" for a monk.

 

the fiber is widely used for even thicker applications like ropes.

 

Still need to know where it is from though.

 

It's a traditional shigra, or handbag, from Ecuador. They're made from cabuya, a type of agave. They have a lot of history and tradition behind them, since they date back to pre-Columbian times. Every woman in the Andes made, and used these. They were used for storage, as carrying bags, and even (according to some sources) as units of measure.

The form was revived during the 1970's/1980's as a popular handicraft from the region.

 

Taupou, thank you! that was just what I needed to know.

Do you think this one had handles at one time?

 

The ones I've seen usually had a thin cord, braided out of the same material, that was either stitched onto the bag on opposite sides, or else threaded through some wider stitches around the top, for a drawstring. New ones often have sewn-on leather handles.

The third photo, where the stitches seem to be pulled a little, may have been where a handle was stitched on at one time.

 

Ok then.
Thank you again for helping with it.