Mangbetu Baby Shield / Cover, Based

A child is the most valuable thing in a house, and Mangbetu weavers knew how to wrap one in something worth looking at.

This rattan cover or shield was made in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century, to shelter and protect a young child. Mangbetu weavers were known for tight, patterned basketry. Two feet tall on its stand, it takes a tall, flattened conical form widening toward the base, rising to a narrow neck with a small, bound collar. The dense plaiting makes subtle chevron and herringbone patterns, edged by a woven band at the lower rim. The fibers have darkened to a deep, lustrous brown.

Protection that took skill. It still shows.