A TRADITION OF BASKET WEAVING IN GHANA
Starting from a small woven circle, Ghanaian basket weavers work their way out from a central point to reveal beautiful, distinctive Bolga baskets. Sometimes called “market baskets,” Bolga baskets are woven from veta vera, or elephant grass. While the grass is grown primarily in southern Ghana, weavers in the northern region of Bolgatanga excel at transforming the tough grass fiber into the iconic baskets. The people from the region rely on the sale of handcrafted items to supplement their income, and their craftsmanship is demonstrated by the high quality of these artfully woven baskets.
The weaving of Bolga baskets in Ghana has been a traditional skill for many generations, and is often a communal process. The Bolga baskets sold by Swahili Modern are fair trade and a reliable source of income for weavers and their families. Just as the baskets begin as a small circle and expand, so does the impact of purchasing fair trade items that directly benefit, support and empower the artisans who create them.
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$16.00
Featured in Anthropologie, these African wine stoppers add safari style to your wine routine. The animals are cast from zinc and electroplated with an antique brass finish. Each sits atop a standard sized cork and measures 1.75"T x 1.25"L. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, slight variation may occur.
The stoppers come to us from an eco-friendly, brass casting company in Cape Town known its community outreach and original products.
About the Artisans:
Roots of Creation is a South African company known for their innovate brass and metal products. They have been in the casting business for over 20 years, during which time they have built a reputation for high-quality and original product design.
$24.00
These sweet wooden ornaments are hand-carved and stained using jacaranda wood in Western Kenya.
The giraffe and zebra ornaments are hand-painted with fur patterns while the elephants are stained to a rich coffee brown. Each ornament is unique, and due to the handmade nature of this item, slight variation is expected.
Size: 2"-3" tall (not including hanging ribbon)
About the Artisans:
We work with an amazing co-op in Kenya, the Gikomba Wood Carving Cooperative, a group of woodcarvers of all ages who work in an open-air workshop in Nairobi. This environmentally-responsible group takes care to legally procure all types of African wood used in their products, and they are skilled at using all parts of the tree in their artwork.
$24.00
Delightful Petite Giraffe sculptures are made from discarded flip flops that have been hand-formed, carved, and cemented together by Kenyan artisans.
These wildlife sculptures are a colorful and eco-friendly way to recycle flip flops that would otherwise litter urban Nairobi or sit in landfills. We work directly with a small co-op of Kenyan artisans who collect, clean and transform foam footwear into bold modern safari art sculptures.
Each sculpture is one-of-a-kind and designs will vary. Measures 3.5"L x 1.5"W x 10"T. Size may vary slightly.
About the Artisans:
In Kenya, artisans convert discarded flip flops into one-of-a-kind art. Operating from a small Nairobi workshop, the dedicated group offers employment and creative opportunities while also keeping flip flop foam out of the landfills.
$58.00
Designed to showcase small plants and succulents, these handmade African sculptures are welded outside of Nairobi using washers, nuts, and other salvaged metal pieces.
The sculptures can be displayed inside or outside of the home, and because they are created from salvaged materials, each planter is one-of-a-kind. Due to the nature of the metal, the sculptures will develop a patina when exposed to the elements.
Small measures 8"L x 6"W x 20"T. Large measures 8"L x 7"W x 24"T. Size may vary slightly. The bottom of each sculpture is porous so consideration should be given during planting, such as lining the planter with moss.
About the Artisans:
Moses and his small workshop of craftsmen build their own welding machines out of copper coil, tape, steel rod, and a sheet metal housing in order to create these spectacular metal works of art. Moses began his artistic career making furniture, but quickly switched to sculpture after an interested European buyer created a demand for his works abroad.
$18.00
These unique and useful totes are handcrafted from discarded plastic water sachets—an ingenious way to upcycle a common source of litter in Accra, Ghana! Artisans employed by the company known as Trashy Bags™ collect and clean the ubiquitous water sachets in Accra, then transform them into handcrafted totes.
This would be a great gift for eco-conscious friends & family, to use as a tote for the grocery, beach, lake, or pool!
When folded and zipped up, this recycled bag’s compact size of only 9"L x 7"W x 1"T (as shown in the photo of the small bag) allows it to be tucked into a bag, car or backpack until needed. Opened, it extends to a generous size of 14"L x 8"W x 15"T (to top of bag), 21"T (to top of handles).
Due to the nature of the recycled materials, each bag will vary.
About the Artisans:
Seeking a solution to the tons of plastic waste produced and discarded in Ghana each year, Trashy Bags has built a thriving company around recycling abundant discarded plastic water pouches. Trashy Bags employs 60 full-time workers at their workshop in Accra, Ghana, to collect, wash and transform recycled plastic into reusable totes and other products that are used widely in Ghana and exported for use by eco-conscious citizens worldwide. 
$14.00
Utilizing remnants of Zulugrass, Maasai artisans are designing one-of-a-kind strands to symbolize the bright futures of educated children. Buy Zulugrass=Educate Kids. The Leakey Collection will donate 100% of their profits from the sales of these bracelets to pay for teachers' salaries in rural Kenya. Each 26" strand is packaged on a special tag explaining how the proceeds will be allocated. Wear it wrapped 3-4 times around your wrist or ankle, or long as a necklace.
Zulugrass 26" single strands are made from sustainable, natural grass beads. The richly hued grass is dyed with colorfast, low-impact dyes and interspersed with hand-blown Czech glass. Zulugrass is as creative as the individual who wears it!
$42.00
This fun elephant sculpture is made from hundreds of flip flops that have been hand-formed, carved, and cemented together by artisans in a Nairobi workshop.
These elephant sculptures are a colorful, eco-friendly way to recycle flip flops that would otherwise litter urban areas or sit in landfills. We work directly with a small co-op of Kenyan artisans who collect, clean and transform foam footwear into bold modern safari art sculptures.
Each sculpture is one-of-a-kind and designs will vary. Measures 11"L x 4"W x 6"T. Size may vary slightly.
About the Artisans:
In Kenya, artisans convert discarded flip flops into one-of-a-kind art. Operating from a small Nairobi workshop, the dedicated group offers employment and creative opportunities while also keeping flip flop foam out of the landfills.
$78.00
These striking striped baskets are handwoven from milulu, a reed-like grass that grows near the city of Iringa, Tanzania. Each basket includes accent bands of black-dyed grass.
The all-natural baskets are very durable and can be rinsed with cool water and reshaped as needed.
Approximate sizes: Small 11" tall x 10-11" diameter. Medium 12-13" tall x 12" diameter. Large 14-15" tall x 13" diameter. Please expect up to a 2" size variance; this allows baskets to be nested together when shipping from Tanzania.
Because these baskets are handmade, design placement will vary.
About the Artisans:
Home of the Hehe people, the city of Iringa is situated 300 miles from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and stretches along a hilltop overlooking the Ruaha River to the south. Iringa is famous for its woven baskets made from local reeds. The baskets are an important source of income for the 100,000 population town and are used across Tanzania and exported worldwide.
$365.00
Designed to showcase flowers as if they were an ostrich's plumes, these handmade African sculptures are are welded outside of Nairobi using recycled oil drums and scrap metal. Each ostrich is crafted from the ground up and exhibits its own unique characteristics.
The sculptures can be displayed inside or outside of the home and are one-of-a-kind. Because they are made of metal, the ostrich planters will develop a patina when exposed to the elements.
Large measures 6 feet tall, with a planter basket that measures 21"D x 8.5"T. Smaller size measures 5 feet tall, with a planter basket that measures 15"D x 6"T. Sizes may vary slightly due to the handcrafted nature of this item.
Extra shipping fees are required for this oversized item. Please scroll down for more information.
About Shipping:
Shipping for these sculptures requires a pallet and cost starts at $200. After purchase, we will contact you via email regarding the additional shipping charges.
Shipping from our location in Oregon to the Northeast is most expensive, while shipping to California is least expensive. Shipping includes the cost for using a lift gate. Costs can sometimes be reduced if you can provide a business address.
Multiple sculptures can be shipped on a single pallet, typically costing the same as shipping for a single sculpture on a pallet.
We can provide a shipping quote at any time during the ordering process. Please email us at info@swahilimodern.com with your full shipping address to get started.
Once you have placed your order and agreed to the shipping cost, we will send you a Paypal invoice. The total will subtract any shipping you have already paid during the checkout process.
About the Artisans:
Moses and his small workshop of craftsmen build their own welding machines out of copper coil, tape, steel rod, and a sheet metal housing in order to create these spectacular metal works of art. Moses began his artistic career making furniture, but quickly switched to sculpture after an interested European buyer created a demand for his works abroad.
$22.00
Colorful, sweet Baby Elephant sculptures are made from discarded flip flops that have been hand-formed, carved, and cemented together by a small team of artisans in Nairobi.
These statement sculptures are a colorful and eco-friendly way to recycle flip flops that would otherwise litter urban Nairobi or sit in landfills. We work directly with a small co-op of Kenyan artisans who collect, clean and transform foam footwear into bold modern safari art sculptures.
Each sculpture is one-of-a-kind and designs will vary. Measures 5"L x 2.5"W x 3.5"T. Size may vary slightly.
About the Artisans:
In Kenya, artisans convert discarded flip flops into one-of-a-kind art. Operating from a small Nairobi workshop, the dedicated group offers employment and creative opportunities while also keeping flip flop foam out of the landfills.
$18.50
Lulu Life is an organic, Grade A virgin shea butter that is produced using nuts from the vitellaria nilotica tree, which grows only in remote East Africa.
Most shea butter comes from West African shea trees and is sold as a hard solid. East African shea butter is silky and harder to procure, and considered a precious luxury good. Lulu Shea Butter is made from nuts that are collected, cracked, sorted, dried, ground by hand and cold-pressed (avoiding even the slightest trace of chemical contamination).
Intensely moisturizing, this shea butter is easily absorbed and is known to transform your skin over time. The butter is rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants, and can be used on the face or as an all-over body butter.
Container holds 100ml (3.3oz) and measures 2"T x 2.25"D.
About the Artisans:
Founded in 2000, Lulu Works is a non-profit trust established to provide a source of sustainable income for the women of South Sudan. Comprised of women-owned processing centers, Lulu Works ensures that the profit from the production and sale of Lulu Life products returns to these women. It also provides an incentive to protect the natural shea butter resource.
Vitellaria nilotica tree grows across South Sudan in thick forests and takes 20 years to bear its first fruit. These forests are untouched by chemicals or fertilizers.
This shea butter is pure and unscented. See all of the scents available in our Skin Care Collection.