BASKETS / BOWLS
Basket weaving in Africa, as elsewhere, enables production of durable, lightweight objects. Both men and women practice this art with materials found in nature, such as various kinds of grasses, vines, raffia, and leaf or palm parts. Braiding techniques vary, with each African tribe specializing in a particular type of shape and/or pattern. Some baskets are made using a coil technique. A very tight weave can be waterproof and baskets made with such a technique may substitute for pottery. Baskets are made to store personal effects, for food storage, even, in the case of tightly woven ones, for keeping milk fresh. Twigs and reeds may be used to make rigid bottoms. Those woven loosely are used as sieves or for winnowing grain. Often, they are lidded and the weaving can be so intricate that they almost resemble sculpture. Natural colored or dyed fibers are used to make designs.
The winnowing baskets presented here, with their open bottom of interwoven twigs, come from the Tonga people of the Lower Zambezi Region of Zambia. The designs, made by weaving naturally dyed grasses into a background of natural colored grasses, are each weave r's unique creation. These baskets are used for winnowing grains, primarily sorghum and maize. Basket making with the Tonga people has taken on a new dimension. In the mid to the late 50's when construction of the Kariba Dam flooded their homeland, the Tonga people were relocated from the flood plains of the Lake Kariba region of the Zambezi River to an area further north where the soil is far less productive. In the last few years, Southern Zambia has suffered severe droughts. The relatively poor nature of the land and the droughts have had a severe impact on agricultural productivity for these people. Fortunately there is a program associated with Tonga Museum in Choma that aims to train villagers in the art of basket making, monitor the quality and develop markets for quality craftwork. Success of this program could be an important factor in sustaining the people of this area.
The Lozi people of Western Zambia make the Makenge baskets from the root of the Makenge vine. The fibrous nature of this root produces a very sturdy basket. This durability allows these baskets to function both as art and as a item to be used in daily life within the modern home.
 The wooden bowls come from both Zambia and Zimbabwe and from a variety of soft and semi-hard wood. They are typically finished with clear shoe polish. As you wash your bowl this finish will wear away and the bowl can be oiled with vegetable oil to bring out the natural luster of the wood.
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