Oh, damn. DonMike, I can't answer your question, but I can share your pain. I'm familiar with this practice - in the sense that I've heard of it, and ages ago at that - but I can't for the life of me remember the term for it, if in fact there is one. For some reason, all I can think of is "basket sex," which sounds rather like having sex *with* a basket as opposed to a woman in one. I believe this practice occured more often with Emporers and the like who had servants to raise and lower the basket and make it spin, as opposed to just two people and some equipment.
Unfortunately, all I can picture is the rope holding up the basket breaking and the "oomph!" that would result when the basket fell.