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Ghana Bolga Baskets
These African market baskets are exclusively woven by the indigenous Frafra people of a historical town in Northern Ghana called Bolgatanga. Bolga is known as the crafts center of northern Ghana, with a large central market. Weaving has been a traditional skill of these people over the years. The geographical land area of Bolgatanga is not fertile enough for extensive agricultural activities. Coupled with an erratic rainfall pattern and generally harsh weather conditions, handicraft activities such as market basket weaving, leather work and pottery are undertaken mostly by the women to supplement their incomes from the subsistence of farming activities.

The weaving group has a mission: to assist the poor rural women of Northern Ghana in earning decent incomes from the fruits of their labors in order to care for their children. We believe when the woman can create an income, the trickle-down effect puts food into the bowl of a child, and is a way of promoting self-esteem for the women, children and village.

Zulu Wire Baskets
The Zulu are the largest ethnic group in South Africa and many of us have heard of their most powerful king, Shaka, who united the fractious tribes and created the Zulu nation in the early 1800's.

The Zulu people have long been associated with their skill and artistry in fashioning African baskets from the native plants and grasses of their homeland as well as for their intricate and culturally important beadwork.

Now they have taken their age-old craftsmanship and applied it to a new medium: telephone wire. These bright, washable and sturdy wire baskets, called mbenge in the native language, come in myriad colors and intricate, mesmerizing designs.

The idea to use wire for basket weaving reportedly came from security workers on the graveyard shift in South African factories. To while away the hours, they would often wind and weave brightly-colored bits of recycled telephone wire around their nightsticks.

From then on, a cottage industry was born. Weavers around the country started making bowls, plates, and other decorative pieces of art from what was essentially scrap metal. Some weavers use the designs frequently found in natural fiber baskets, while others create their own bold, new designs: swirling patterns in black-and-white or bright colors. Over 800 full time weavers and their families are supported with a fair living wage for their amazing creations. Since wire baskets are done mostly by men due to the difficult nature of weaving wire, the men are able to stay home on their traditional tribal lands instead of moving to cities to look for work. In the rural groups we work with, the family units are preserved so that the weavers and their families can live more traditional lifestyles.

Recycled wire is rarely used anymore because of it's scarcity and the fact that using recycled wire produces a basket of lesser quality. Contrary to some popular rumors, wire is not stolen from telephone poles, but due to the very high price of copper, which is used in telephone wire, some groups are experimenting with using an annealed steel core wire. The wire we use is custom manufactured in special colors for the weavers in the most eco-friendly and lead-free materials.

These African wire baskets can be used to store fruit, bread, or other foodstuffs, or simply admired for their beauty. They are especially functional and can be washed in warm, soapy water.

Zulu Ilala Palm
Each Zulu basket is lovingly handcrafted in the northeastern coastal area of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. All-natural fibers, materials and dyes are used to construct these unique treasures. Most of the people in this region are subsistence farmers and live in their traditional Kraals, an area fenced in by piles of sticks that contain their traditional huts.

Ilala palm fronds are collected, pulled into strips, naturally dyed and then hung to dry as the traditional Zulu women prepare their materials for basket-weaving. The palm fronds have a waxy coating which makes them ideal for the weaving of watertight baskets.

The age-old tradition of African basket weaving is usually passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. Some young girls begin learning the art of weaving as young as age 9. Many are able to put themselves all the way through school, supported solely on the proceeds of their basket sales.

Different patterns on the African baskets also carry different meanings (see list below). The larger baskets are traditionally woven by the bride-to-be or given to the new couple as wedding gifts. During the Zulu wedding the baskets will be used to hold ceremonial beer and they are sometimes called 'beer baskets' for that reason. Prior to its first use, the basket's pores are closed from the inside with a paste of coarsely-ground corn. The more elaborate designs and intricately- patterned baskets denote the relative wealth and power of the family. An elaborate, medium-sized basket may take 30 days to weave. Depending on the type of lid they have, the larger, watertight baskets are referred to as Ukhambas (lid fits inside the top, cork-like) or Isichumo (lid fits over the top, jar-like). Smaller baskets with lids or Iquthu often have a looser weave and are traditionally used to store medicinal herbs. Open bowls or Isiquabetho and Iqoma are used to store nuts, grains, fruits or vegetables while flatter baskets or Mbenges are used as tops to clay jars or open top African baskets.

Swazi Sisal Baskets
The sisal plant is extraordinarily strong and durable - so much so, in fact, that its leaves are often used as ropes, in baskets, fences, and in rugs. For these intricate African baskets from Swaziland, strands from the sisal plant are picked, dried, and tightly-coiled to create a work of art that's both beautiful and functional.

Each fiber is hand-dyed with colors from natural ingredients, then rolled back-and-forth against the weaver's leg until the perfect weaving strand is created. At an average of 30 hours per basket, these are likely the most labor-intensive of all African baskets. Called titja in the native Swazi language, these traditional gift baskets are often given to symbolize a long and happy life.

Titja baskets are traditionally woven by Swazi tribeswomen, many of whom depend on the sales of their handiwork for their sole economic livelihood.