Vanilla Sugar Swirl Large African Hamper Basket

Vanilla Sugar Swirl Large Hamper Basket Default Title

Vanilla Sugar Swirl Large Hamper Basket

$185.00

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Wolof women in the West African nation of Senegal hand-weave baskets in the traditional coil weaving method, using natural grass. Interweaving colorful strips of plastic, salvaged from a mat factory in Dakar, the weavers brighten up the baskets and create designs.

Cattails grow abundantly in rural Senegal, making this natural grass a sustainable choice. The Wolof women earn a sustainable income from basket weaving, while enriching homes around the world with modern African craftsmanship.

This amply-sized laundry hamper basket features braided plastic handles and a snug-fitting removable lid.

Dimensions: 16"L x 16"W x 26-28"H

Crafted from: Typha (cattail) stalks, plastic

Made in: Senegal

Due to the handmade nature of this item, some variation is expected. Read our Statement on Handmade Variation to learn more. Fair trade.

SKU: SEN90Q

INTERNATIONAL	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL	XXXL
EUROPE	32	34	36	38	40	42	44
US	0	2	4	6	8	10	12
CHEST FIT (INCHES)	28"	30"	32"	34"	36"	38"	40"
CHEST FIT (CM)	716	76	81	86	91.5	96.5	101.1
WAIST FIR (INCHES)	21"	23"	25"	27"	29"	31"	33"
WAIST FIR (CM)	53.5	58.5	63.5	68.5	74	79	84
HIPS FIR (INCHES)	33"	34"	36"	38"	40"	42"	44"
HIPS FIR (CM)	81.5	86.5	91.5	96.5	101	106.5	111.5
SKORT LENGTHS (SM)	36.5	38	39.5	41	42.5	44	45.5

WOLOF WEAVERS OF RURAL SENEGAL

This coil style of basket weaving has been practiced in Senegal for generations. Traditionally, Wolof women created baskets by binding stalks of cattail grass, a thick local grass, with long strips of reed. Though reed strips could be harvested locally, they were very hard on the hands of the weavers. About 20 years ago, an idea revolutionized Wolof basket weaving. A factory in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, creates mats using plastic strips that strongly resemble the reed strips. Using the plastic strips to replace the sharp natural material, conditions for the weavers drastically improved and the baskets began to burst into vibrant colors.

Since 2008, Swahili has worked with a group of talented Wolof weavers in remote Senegal to design hampers and baskets woven from the salvaged plastic strips and cattail stalks. First introduced by the Peace Corps, Swahili and more than 120 Wolof women prove that cooperative, home-based craft export is an excellent way for rural women to earn fair trade incomes that build healthy communities.

WEAVING WOMEN

Among the Wolof, basket weaving is traditionally a women’s craft. Often the men from families in rural Senegalese villages must work in major cities or abroad, and send money back to their families. The women supplement that income by weaving baskets. Often their children are nearby as they weave, Wolof girls beginning to learn the skill from their mothers and aunts from a young age. Wolof women take pride in their craftsmanship and ability to help provide for their families using this traditional skill.