MINGEI BASKETS The Ronin Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of Meiji period (1868-1912) mingei baskets. Mingei, literally arts of the people, has become the universal word for folk art. The art of bamboo weaving is among the oldest and most outstanding craft of Japan. Most of the baskets were made expressly for flower arrangement and basket sculpture but some had more utilitarian functions such carrying fruits and vegetables. Rarely signed, these earthy and elegantly shaped weavings are the essence of an art that was actually used everyday.