Over the past two months we have been working on getting a range of baskets designed and made. We have been lucky enough to have had the help of our good friend Steve who visits east Africa several times a year and a colleague of his who has contacts in the basket making world in Zanzibar. We have begun working with three basket making communities, taking already existing designs and adjusting them to suit our taste and style.
The first to arrive are the Sisal Baskets, also commonly known as Kiondo in Kenya. The Kiondo is a hand-woven handbag/basket made from sisal (a natural fibre grown in Kenya) with a leather trimming around the top and handle. It is indigenous to the Kikuyu and Kamba tribes of Kenya. Sometimes it’s finished with small beads and shells but we have opted for simpler styles without.
Traditionally, they were used to hold staple foods like beans and maize; and in more recent times, the bags have evolved into a trendy fashion accessory. Unfortunately, the influx of cheap goods from China (most notably the environmentally unfriendly plastic bag), has meant that their use is now in dramatic decline.
Weaving begins by stripping the Sisal plant's outer layers, leaving the plant still able to grow. The weaver dries the threads from the pale colored layers for a day and then boils them with water and dye to set the bag's colours. It takes between two to three weeks to complete a bag, and so most weave when they have time in between looking after their households. I cannot claim to wear one no matter how modern of a man I am; but I do think that the subtle colours provide a lovely natural feel.
We plan to keep working on the styles of these basket bags along with the help of our friends from Kikuyu and Kamba. We have chosen not to sell several of the styles from the first order as there are a few small adjustments to make but the rest of the batch are brilliant and full of beautifully made pieces. The only problem being that we didn't order enough.
