This basket is typical of the storage baskets made of 'bemban' (reed) and rattan by Melanau women. The basket with a square base widens into a circular opening. The patterns can vary from simple checks to elaborate designs styled from nature; sometimes spiritual motifs are featured. Traditional basket colours include red, black and natural. Commercial types often use synthetic rather than natural dyes.The basket belongs to a selection of fibre work bought from Archdeacon Arthur Frederick Sharp (1866–1960), an influential Anglican missionary in Southeast Asia in 1903. As the Archdeacon of St. Thomas’ Cathedral in Sarawak, he was often given gifts in gratitude from the local community.
