Abstract
The Gurene people in the Upper East Region of Ghana have a variety of notable utilitarian basketry articles which are used in many cultural applications in the Gurene society. These category of basketry articles, even though very important in the day-to-day activities of the Gurene people, are not extensively researched into. This study sought to identify, describe and underpin the functions of these basketry articles, in order to underpin their socio-cultural relevance among the Gurene people. Ethnographic research design was used. 85 respondents were sampled for the study using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using observations, interviews and focus group discussions and analysed thematically, using NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis package. The findings showed that the basketry articles are employed in agricultural and culinary activities such as harvesting, carting of farm produce, storage of grains, rearing of livestock, winnowing, and food preparations. Also, some are utilised in burial and funeral rites, expended as architectural accoutrements, and applied as containers and carriers which are used in selling diverse items in the Gurene society. Keywords: Gurene basketry, baskets, ethnic artefacts, utilitarian basketry arts, fibre arts. DOI: 10.7176/ADS/80-03 Publication date: January 31st 2020
Highlights
Basketry arts play varied important roles in the day-to-day activities of many civilizations around the globe
Findings and Discussions The study established the presence of a miscellanea of basketry articles in the Gurene society
The study unearthed a wide variety of Gurene basketry articles which are employed in various sectors of the Gurene society
Summary
Basketry arts play varied important roles in the day-to-day activities of many civilizations around the globe. Basketry artefacts are considered essential utilities, which are needed for the proper functioning of many agrarian societies around the world. Among the Gurene people of the Upper East Region of Ghana, a cornucopia of basketry wares could be detected in virtually every nook and cranny of the society. These intricately crafted articles are used in many cultural applications by the Gurene people. Though basketry products may be quite mundane, (Bunn 2014) explains that they are important articles that aid in throwing light on the socio-cultural dynamics of the community that produces them. Guss (1989) buttresses the above by succinctly revealing that basketry objects are “portraits of the society that inspired them”
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
