An ancient artist crafted a grass basket for grain storage. Woven into the surface is an image of the cultural god of the harvest. Which statement best describes the purpose of this basket?
A. This basket is purely a functional storage container for dry goods such as grain or roots and vegetables.
B. This basket can be modified with straps to carry along on extended trips.
C. This functional container is also beautiful to look at, and reminds the user be grateful for the harvest.
D. The decorations on this basket actually distract from the basket’s main purpose: rice grain storage.
C. This functional container is also beautiful to look at, and reminds the user be grateful for the harvest.
To determine the purpose of the grass basket with the woven image, we can analyze the given options and consider the context of ancient art and cultural practices.
Option A suggests that the basket serves purely as a functional storage container for dry goods such as grain or vegetables. While this is a valid purpose for a basket, it does not explain the presence of the image of the cultural god of the harvest.
Option B proposes that the basket can be modified with straps to carry along on extended trips. However, there is no mention or indication of such modifications and their purpose in the question.
Option D suggests that the decorations on the basket distract from its main purpose of rice grain storage. Since the image of the cultural god of the harvest is intentional and woven into the surface, it is unlikely that the decorations would be considered a distraction. Instead, they seem to have a deliberate purpose.
Option C states that the basket serves as a functional container, but it is also beautiful to look at, reminding the user to be grateful for the harvest. This option aligns with the inclusion of the image of the cultural god of the harvest and acknowledges that such art can have both functional and symbolic significance.
Therefore, the best statement that describes the purpose of this basket is C: This functional container is also beautiful to look at, and reminds the user to be grateful for the harvest.