Dark Blue and Natural Large Yikene Tote
Two tones, one workhorse: the large Yikene tote pairs a dark blue weave with natural grass for a clean, graphic look.
Woven in Ghana from tough Bolga elephant grass and finished with a leather-wrapped handle, it is roomy and built for real use. Please note that a color that looks black on screen is actually dark blue. Each tote is one of a kind, handmade and fairly traded.
Load it at the farmers market, pack it for the beach, or use it for laundry and toy storage.
You will receive one dark blue and natural tote, each one of a kind. Reshape by briefly dipping in water (keep the leather dry), shaping by hand and letting it dry.
Product Size: Approximately 16 to 18 Inches in Diameter x 11 to 13 Inches Deep
Weaving Details
Weavers collect veta vera straw, which is at the top of the grass known locally as kinkahe, leaving the grass roots in the soil to regrow. Then each piece is split in half vertically.
Each half of the split straw is then strengthened by rolling it into a tight twist.
The straw is put in bunches and dyed in boiling water. For bright colors the straw is dyed yellow first, then the color.
Weaving Bolga baskets in Ghana
For many generations, weaving has been a traditional skill of the Gurune people of northern Ghana. Mostly done by women, basket weaving and other handicrafts supplement these subsistence farmers’ incomes.
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