Fair-Trade African Baskets

These striking African baskets are handmade in Swaziland. Weaving skills have been handed down for generations in Swaziland from mother to daughter. Baskets woven traditionally were functional for food bowls and had no colour, colour is a recent introduction. Basket weaving has recently become an artistic medium, increasingly motivated by aesthetics and reflects a new level of sophistication and expertise

This gorgeous woven African basket is made from sisal fibres The sisal plant is used because of its strength. The fibre is harvested, dried, hand dyed and  then made into a thin coil by being rolled against the weaver's leg becaue of this long process these are one of the most labour intensive of all African Baskets for their size.