EGBE: Pot Shopping Bolga Basket
Description
Pot-shaped EGBE is woven in traditional Ghanaian bolga style and sports two fine black stripes around its middle. Made from sustainably-sourced veta vera grass in Northern Ghana, this ethically woven basket is finished with a binding of sustainably-sourced goat’s leather around the handle.
Each shopping basket is a work of art - taking up to three days to weave by hand - and is made from robust veta vera grass which is also used to make our Moses baskets and bicycle baskets. This indigenous grass is hand-rolled and dyed in boiling water before being skilfully woven by a skilled member of our partner weaving cooperative in Northern Ghana. Grasses are picked from the tip, leaving the root to produce again.
Agricultural work is the basis of most weavers’ incomes, but prolific drought makes it increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet. Producing these exquisite woven shopping baskets empowers artisans with the opportunity to earn a valuable second income. Each shopping basket comes with a thank you card from the weaving co-operative that made yours. Want to know more about the people behind the baskets? Meet the weavers here.
Material: VETA VERA GRASS & LEATHER
Dimensions:
Small: W16cm x H16cm (width is measured at the mouth of the basket)
Medium: W22cm x H18cm (width is measured at the mouth of the basket)
Please note, as this is a handmade product, dimensions & colour may vary from those shown in the photographs.
FAIR TRADE & HANDMADE IN GHANA
Our Ghanaian woven baskets are a celebration of Northern Ghana’s abundant natural raw material, and the age-old weaving skills of its people: sustainable style and ethical production, through and through. In our ongoing commitment to fair trade, our baskets are produced from natural materials indigenous to the region they are woven in.
Home of the hardy veta vera grass, Ghana is where our collections of sturdier, stiffer baskets are made: woven bike baskets, square, rectangular and circular storage baskets, bolga shopping baskets, dog baskets and baby Moses baskets. Where Kenyan sisal grass creates supple and pliable baskets and bags, Ghanaian veta vera grass produces more structured baskets.We partner with 24 weaving cooperatives and over 1000 weavers in Ghana, both male and female. This portable and flexible craft means that weavers can take their work home with them if preferred, completing their weaving around other household tasks and duties to create truly fair trade baskets. Bicycle baskets and storage baskets generally take around three days to complete, and the process – as you will see from the pictures – is meticulous.
"We wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the customers who buy our baskets, which create employment for our women in Ghana. We say thank you and we wish to continue to do business with you next year." - Asabila, Cooperative Manager – Ghana
Shop the Log Basket Collection here.
Shop the Art Basket Collection here.
Shop the Bike Basket collection here.
Shop the Square, Rectangular and Circular Floor Storage Basket collection here.
Shop the Moses Basket Collection here.
Shop the Bolga Shopping Basket collection here.
Shop the Dog Basket collection here.
