Vintage Makenge Basket (07) - Zambia (on stand)

These vintage and original Makenge baskets are testament to the weaving skills of the Mbundu and Losi people of Zambia.  They are original pieces that have been used to sift the grains used in cooking.  The originality of these baskets show some grains embedded in the weave on some of our collections.  They are beautiful art pieces.

How they are made:-   The baskets are made from the Makenge tree which is a small tree and sends out very long shallow roots.  The roots have fine hairs and they are dug from the ground by the men and thinned out to be used.  The roots are boiled and dyed with natural pigments and left to dry out.  It takes several weeks to make each of these very unique baskets. 

SIZE

 Due to their vintage usage and handmade nature these baskets vary slightly in size between 50cm & 57cm diameter. 

They each come mounted on a stand and are easily removed if you want to hang them on a wall you will need to attach a small wire hook.