- You will receive the exact basket pictured above.
- These incredible, intricately designed African baskets utilize mezmerizing colors and patterns put a modern twist on traditional basket weaving in South Africa. Sometimes called ‘hard wire’ baskets for the stiffness of the walls, Zulu weavers wrap coils of wire similar to telephone wire around a solid metal core, which results in the substantial weight of this basket.
- This basket style is the most time consuming of all the wire baskets to weave. In the larger sizes, adding just one row to the outer rim while weaving can take 10 times longer than a row at the inside. This is why you will see the prices get exponentially higher as the sizes get larger. Just adding an inch to this type of basket could represent an extra week or more of work on a large basket.
- Mesmerizing designs and vibrant colors are a hallmark of this functional art.
- Wash gently with warm soapy water.
- 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 Zulu Wire Baskets in South Africa
Since wire baskets are woven by many men due to the difficult nature of weaving wire, they are able to stay home on their 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.