Large Black Yikene Tote
Deep, dark, and built to last, the large black Yikene tote is the Bolga basket that goes with everything.
Woven in Ghana from tough Bolga elephant grass, this large tote is finished with a leather-wrapped, reinforced handle for real durability. Please note that a color that looks black on screen is actually a rich dark blue. Every tote is handmade and fairly traded, supporting the weaver directly.
Carry it to the farmers market, pack it for the beach, or use it for laundry and toy storage. As a Ghana market basket it is a workhorse in a sleek, near-black palette.
You will receive one basket nearly identical to the one pictured. 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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