- You will receive a basket nearly identical to the one pictured above.
- These baskets are made from coils of native grasses wrapped in sisal fibers. Sisal, a species of agave closely related to yucca, is prepared by pressing its long, sword-shaped leaves between a metal can and a piece of wood to remove the pulp and extract up to 1000 fibers. These fine fibers are then spun into long threads and dyed in modern colors.
- Coil weaving, the technique used to create these baskets, is very difficult, requiring years of practice to master. Each revolution out from the center of the basket requires more material, such that adding a row at the edge of a basket can take as long or longer than the first several rows at the base of the basket. This is the reason that larger baskets such as these are quite rare, and only woven by those designated as Master Weavers.
- Each Masterweave basket is peer reviewed and priced according to 11 different criteria of weave quality.
- Dimensions are approximate, but we do strive to get the measurements accurate within 1/2 inch. Please review the size of this item carefully using a ruler or tape measure before your purchase. See our Shopping FAQs for more information.
Weaving Baskets in Eswatini (Swaziland)
Weavers take an average of 30 hours to create an 8 inch basket which makes these some of the most labor intensive of all African baskets.
