Coiled Basket Botswana 16 Inch

This basket from Botswana is very similar to those from the Zulu of South Africa. As for the Zulu, the tradition of making baskets is known in Botswana for a very long time and is still alive today, and even more diversified in terms of style, size, and decoration. The creativity of people from Botswana has reached its apex with these timeless baskets, today overlooked as pieces worth collecting. Making baskets is an activity exclusively reserved for women, particularly the women from the Bayei and Hambukushu ethnic groups. These stunning baskets are made from palm tree fibers. This palm tree, called Mokola, is found along the Okavango area. The technique and process of fabrication are very complex. It can take up to a month to produce a medium-sized basket. Every basket is made by hand, using indigenous raw materials, mainly fibers from the Mokola palm. Reeds or straws are used to ensure the strength of the basket. Then, the basket would hold its shape, and it would be hard to compress.

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