Chiro is a traditional cane basket designed by the Red Kaffir tribe, which is one of the lesser-known indigenous communities in parts of Northeast India. Like many other tribal societies of this hill region, the Red Kaffirs have a close dependency on nature and employ it to yield natural resources like bamboo and cane for daily purposes.
This particular type of basket-the Chiro-is a testimony of the unique craftsmanship and functional design of the tribe. It consists of split cane strips meticulously woven into a round shape with a mouth wide open and a flat base. The shear mouth makes it handy for access either to carry vegetables, grains, firewood, or household essentials.
The basket is black, either resulting from the natural dyeing process or perhaps owing to the age of the cane material, thus creating for itself an identity in visibility. This, however, provides some degree of camouflage and dirt-proofing for use in everyday life in farm and forest areas.
Chiro is more than an object of utility, for it also acts as a cultural artifact representing the ingenuity and premised life practices of the Red Kaffir tribe. It embodies the synergy of form and function in the tools they craft for their environment.