Makenge Basket #164 Black is from the Umtara province

is from the Umtara province of Rwanda

The bogolanfini

The entire process takes about 6 months with the weaving requiring several weeks

the artistry of the weavers from KwaZulu-Natal

The cloth is hand woven and dyed by an age old process using local flora and mud

Makenge Basket #164 Black is from the Umtara provinceThe Makenge tree grows only a few yards high and sends out long shallow root. These fine root hairs are dug out by the men of the tribe and are skinned to remove the thin covering. The roots are carefully harvested to ensure the health of the indigenous tree ensuring that basket making materials will be available for generations to come. The roots are boiled and sometimes dyed with natural pigments. When they are dry, the women weave the baskets. The