Small Swati Bowl
Small in size but astonishing in detail, the Swati bowl showcases some of the finest sisal weaving done anywhere in Africa.
In Eswatini, an eight-inch sisal bowl can take upwards of 30 hours to weave, because each new row of coil grows longer as the walls flare outward. That patience shows in the tight, intricate coil work of this small Swati bowl. Every piece is handmade and fairly traded, supporting the artisan who wove it.
Set it on a shelf or nightstand as a jewel-like decorative bowl, or use it as a catchall for rings and small keepsakes. As a coil basket it is as much a tiny work of art as a functional piece.
You will receive one handwoven Swati sisal bowl with natural, one-of-a-kind variation in pattern and color.
Product Size: Approximately 6.25 - 7 inches Diameter
Material: Grass, Sisal
Weaving Details
Coil weaving is the most difficult type of basket weaving. Sisal fibers are wrapped and stitched over a coil of grass. Controlling the thickness and evenness of the coils takes years of practice. As a bowl get larger, it takes exponentially more time to expand in diameter. The coils on each row become much longer as the bowl flares upwards and outwards. Adding an inch in diameter at the top of a basket could actually take as long or longer than the first several inches as the base of the basket. Time taken to weave a larger Masterweave basket often exceeds 120 hours.
Weaving Baskets in Eswatini (Swaziland)
The sisal plant, a species of agave and close relative of the yucca plant of the American Southwest, grows wild throughout Eswatini. Sisal fibers are so renowned for their strength that modern industry is increasingly using them as environmentally friendly strengthening agents.
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