Botswana Baskets - Botswana

There are 2 Botswana Baskets, belonging to a private collection of African tribal art.
The 2 pieces have different diameters of 28 cm and a depth of 4 cm.
Each Basket takes about four to six weeks to complete, working every day.
The total weight will be approximately 1 kg

Baskets

The most famous handmade product of Botswana is the basket. As an integral part of Botswana’s agricultural culture, Botswana baskets have been made and traditionally used for thousands of years.

There are 2 general types of handmade baskets. Closed-top baskets are used to store grains, seeds, and sometimes sorghum beer. Large, open, bowl-shaped baskets are used by women to carry objects on the head and to thresh grains after harvest. Smaller, plate-shaped baskets are used to thresh grains after pounding.

The main producers of baskets are the women of the Bayei and Hambukushu tribes, in northwest Botswana.

Although baskets are still very common in Botswana’s rural areas, they are increasingly being produced today for the commercial market.

The expansion and diversity of weaving techniques, designs, and the use of colors are encouraged through upgrade courses, annual competitions, and exhibitions.

Today, Botswana baskets are equivalent to the finest forms of art found in the world.

Creating a Basket
The main raw material used to produce Botswana baskets is the fiber of the ivory palm plant, 'vegetal ivory' (Hyphaene petersiana), called Mokola in Botswana.

To create intricate designs, the natural cream-colored palm fiber is dyed brown using the roots or bark of Motlhakola trees (Euclea divinorum) and Motsentsila (Berchemia discolor).

More recently, the leaves of the shrub Indigofera sp. are being used to produce a purple color, and sorghum husks, with a fungus, will create a beautiful pink tone.

Botswana baskets are woven using the spiral method. One can use a thin bundle of palm fiber, grass, or a single piece of vine for the interior of the spiral.

To make a basket, a small hole is drilled in the pre-woven row with a needle, then a strip of palm is inserted into the hole and wound around the core. Designs are created by interlacing dyed palm strips in the appropriate places.

Each basket takes about four to six weeks to complete, working every day.

Basket Designs Initially, most handmade baskets in Botswana did not have designs, being all cream color, the natural color of the palm fiber. Gradually, more designs were incorporated for identification and beautification; a result of improved and modern basket weaving techniques. In the image, only four of the most famous designs are shown. Many other traditional designs — below — are woven into Botswana baskets, ensuring collectors a wide selection. Additionally, unique, exclusive designs are being created by true artists, blending the art of basketry with the world of abstract art.