About African Zulu Baskets

		Ukhamba - Beer Basket (Water Tight) A rigid bulb-shaped container rendered watertight by the tightness of the coil-weave, and the material used (Ilala Palm). Generally used to serve low alcohol (about 1%) fermented sorghum or millet beer on ceremonial occasions as well as when visiting a Zulu household. It is customary to offer your guests a communal basket of beer upon them visiting your home. The beer is passed around and is refilled continually; however each time the container is offered, the size shrinks until you've overstayed your welcome, drank too much beer and the tiny stingy pot (about the size of a baseball is brought out. You know its time to leave, because while Zulus NEVER say "no" they give mighty powerful hints like this one: which roughly means, "you've drank most of my beer, its time for you to go home." They are often given as treasured wedding presents. These baskets, which today often have matching tops originally did not have tops. A separate basket called an Imbenge was used to cover the basket when it contained beer - to keep the flies out! This is the most common basket shape, although even within Ukhambas, shape can vary widely. Smaller ones are used as drinking vessels and larger ones for storage of beer for short periods of time or as the "keg" at a party. When made as a wedding basket (as shown here a very difficult design to accomplish), the larger the basket, the larger the bride price that was paid! When filled with beer and kept in the shade, the unique nature of these water tight baskets is to condense water on their outside surfaces, then have it evaporate - thus cooling the liquid (we've witnessed beer at a constant 50 degrees inside the baskets while the air temperature was over 100!)

		Isichumo - Water Basket (Water Tight) A rigid, bottle-shaped basket used for carrying and storing liquids (usually water), it has a lid, which fits over the neck like a cap. One of the more difficult designs to create, because of the narrow neck. Typically two sizes of this style of basket were created - a large one that would be kept in a hut and hold about 30-40 gallons of water (typically about two days' worth for a family and its animals) and smaller ones (holding about 5-15 gallons (about 50-150lbs!) that would be used to transport (on top of the women's heads and from a distance of up to 5 miles each way) water from its source to the larger container. CURRENTLY, within our cooperative, only several master weavers are skillful enough to weave this style of basket and only a few of these are willing to do so! (This shape is the preferred shape of Beauty - the second (as of June 2007, with Reuben's passing, Beauty is now THE most famous weaver) most famous and published Zulu weaver in the world!) Today, most Zulus use plastic jugs to store water.

		Imbenge - Saucer/Small Bowl (Some Water Tight, Some Not) A small, saucer-shaped bowl, used to cover clay and palm Ukhamba in order to keep the beer insect and dust-free. We sell contemporary ones, as well as vintage ones (see examples below). Decoration appears on the convex side. Also historically commonly made of telephone wire (typically by men). Also used to hold nuts. Some are water tight for serving moist foods (such as boiled millet or root-like mash potatoes!) For more information on Zulu Telephone Wire baskets, click here (coming soon!)

		Isisquabetho - Winnowing/Grain Basket (Not Water Tight) This is a large flat bowl (up to four feet or more wide!) made for carrying and storing grain. They are also called "dough bowls" because dough for bread are made in them - often in very large quantities. Smaller flat baskets are also used for serving food. They are also used for kneading bread.

		Isilulu - Large grain Basket (Not Water Tight) Large baskets are used to hold grain for long periods. The basket is woven with alternating closed (tight) weave and open weave (breathing weave) that allows air to circulate so the grain won't mold but keeps insects out! These large baskets are extremely heavy and only the best master weavers can accomplish one (inexperienced weavers who attempt this basket often have them collapse under their own weight - and so they make large Isisquabetho baskets! These baskets are typically squat, and either round or bell shaped, depending on the area and weaver.

		Iqoma Open Bowl (Not Water Tight) Straight sided bowls, from small to large, sometimes with lid, typically used to hold, transport or serve food. May also be used to hold materials for weaving or valuable personal possessions.

		Canister (May be water tight or not) Straight sided basket with lid used to hold and serve bread, coffee beans, candies and hold personal possessions.

		Iqutu Herb Baskets (Not Water Tight) - The smallest of the Zulu baskets, these are not woven to be watertight as they are used for the storage of dried herbs, for both culinary and medicinal use. Thus, you want air but not insects to be able to circulate through the sides of the baskets. Young apprentice and junior weavers usually weave these baskets and thus they are quite affordable.

		Grandmother Herb Baskets (Not Water Tight) - The finest (and smallest) of our herb baskets are woven by older master weavers called “grandmothers.” Currently there are 15 grandmothers who no longer have the upper body strength to make larger baskets or are ill with AIDS. When our cooperative was faced with these women not having an income, even though they were historically some of the finest weavers, we found a solution: have them weave INCREDIBLY TIGHT, perfectly round herb tiny herb baskets with amazing colors!

		Antique/Vintage Imbenge: (Not Water Tight) - A small, saucer-shaped bowl, used to cover either a beer basket (Ukhamba) or clay pot in order to keep insects and dust out of the beer. Typically not water tight, but with an open weave (yet small enough to keep dust and insects out) that would allow the brewing beer to "breath". The decoration/finished side appears on the convex side, and is occasionally adorned with beads. Traditionally these were woven from grass, and unlike the undecorated (dyed) fronds of baskets of old, they were highly decorative. Sometime in the early 20th Century Zulus began weaving them from "telephone" copper wire and today this has evolved into the Zulu Telephone wire baskets below. Some are quite simple while others are very colorful and elaborate. Not used any longer and vintage/antique ones are becoming increasingly scarce.

		Zulu Telephone Wire Baskets Decorative Imbenge (Not usually Water Tight but older ones can be/were) - This style of basket, originally used to cover traditional iLala palm beer baskets, has grown into a contemporary art form taken to incredible levels of skill and color. These baskets are actually woven using plastic coated telephone wire! Amazingly, the baskets are woven from the outside edge toward the center. Beautiful and functional, these baskets are every bit as collectable as the traditional iLala palm baskets featured above. Zanzibar works with a cooperative made up of primarily of Zulu men who learn (are taught) to weave these amazing baskets after having been injured working in the gold and diamond mines or oil fields of South Africa. 75% of our retail price goes directly to the weavers. Once Zulus actually downed telephone poles to get wire. Today our cooperative foots 25% of the cost of the raw materials while the South African Government underwrites 25% and the South African Telephone company donates the other 50%! Visit our gallery for a large selection of Zulu Telephone Wire Baskets starting around $20 and going to about $200. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TELEPHONE WIRE BASKETS!

1. Why are Zulu Baskets So collectable?

Zulu baskets are considered some of the finest woven baskets in the world. Many of these African baskets are woven so tightly that they actually hold water. To understand why they are so collectable, you have to know a little history.

The Zulu people of South Africa have been weaving baskets for centuries. Up until the 19th Century (1800), Zulu men did the weaving. However, European Colonial contact changed that as the men were forced to work in the mines - and women had to learn to weave. The women did learn and until sometime between 1900 and 1920 produced basket for day to day use. As outside materials (cups, pans, containers) made their way into even the most remote regions through trade, basket weaving all but stopped. For the most part, South Africa had smaller populations of people than did Eastern and Western Africa - thus there were and are fewer items coming from these areas.

Zulu basket weaving was basically a lost art when a Lutheran Missionary, in an attempt to win more converts, founded a basket weaving school. He had found just a handful of women who remembered the craft and was willing to teach it - even though they hadn't woven a basket in over 30 years!

In the last twenty-odd years weavers moved up from being APPRENTICE weavers to JUNIOR weavers to STANDARD WEAVERS and onto COLLECTOR and MASTER WEAVERS. At the peak of sophistication and ability, over 100 master weavers were sporadically weaving baskets from a total of just over 2,000 weavers. At any given time, only a few weavers obtain the skills to become a master weaver - a title bestowed upon them by very strictly controlled self governing body of the weavers. A few weavers weave full time, however most weavers only weave in their free time - in the dry season when they don't have crops to tend to. Some weavers produce baskets regularly and others only occasionally. In any given year, there are usually only about 20-30 master weavers producing baskets. This number is shrinking fast due to AIDS and the fact that the younger generation is being pulled into the cities and are abandoning their traditional way of life.

Unfortunately, the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa has Africa's highest incidence of HIV and AIDS. Men are gone much of the year working in the mines and often bring this disease home to their wives. We have lost MOST of the Master Weavers in the last few years and most are infected with HIV. While we get a few younger women wanting to learn basket weaving, most give it up within the first year or two and very few put in the time and effort it takes to become a master weaver. The draw of working in the big cities often draws them away or they just don't have interest. Thus, our master weavers are being lost and not replaced. That is NOT to say that the art of basket weaving will again be lost - it most likely will continue. However, the BEST quality baskets are becoming very scarce and their likes may not be seen again.

When you also take into consideration that most Master Weavers have an area of specialty, often only producing one of the many types of baskets and within that often only produce baskets of a specific design or size, you see how these baskets can become collectable and yet, by many standards, they are STILL VERY AFFORDABLE!

Thus, they are an art form that has matured and peaked in the last decade or so and because of limited production, there is a demand for these high-quality baskets. Consider for a moment Native American baskets during the early 1900's - they were relatively inexpensive, however today they often command prices in the thousand, tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why? Because few Native Americans know how to weave or are skilled enough to produce fine quality baskets or are willing to put in the time and effort that it takes (often months) to finish a basket. We are at a point - that is fleeting - where good and great quality baskets are available at very reasonable prices.

2. Why do baskets range in price so much?

Simply put, you get what you pay for! ...at least from reputable dealers. Master weavers command higher prices for their baskets and the larger the basket, the tighter the weave and the smaller the coil, the more difficult the design or shape and yes, even the rarer / more difficult the color(s) - the more expensive the basket is. Baskets with difficult, complex designs (such as wedding baskets) command a higher price because so few weavers are capable of producing them.

Believe it or not, the quality of the raw materials such as the iLala palm fronds and the size and variety of water grasses also play a role. The BEST iLala palm fronds are collected by us (our cooperative - and are advanced to the weavers) far to the north, near the Mozambique border. These fronds are waxy and of strong nature. Local grown iLala is often inferior, and often dries out and breaks and does not hold water well. Depending on the grasses used for the coil, the coils may also be larger or smaller and typically the smaller the coil, the more expensive the basket. Also, there are a very select few weavers who are world renown and command higher prices (think buying a painting by a local artist vs buying a Picaso). Baskets by apprentice, junior and standard weavers are going to be less expensive than well known master weavers. Consider also, that our cooperative rejects MANY inferior standard weaver baskets - and these baskets ultimately are sold to other dealers.

A very select few weavers become internationally known and command very high prices. These "World Class Grand Master Museum weavers" sell their baskets by the piece, rather than by the cm as the other weavers do. BUYER beware. We've seen MANY examples of inferior quality baskets being sold as superior or even baskets by a standard weaver being sold under a master weavers name. We KNOW the weavers (esp. the Master weavers) work and we can instantly tell if the basket being offered is not by a particular artisan. Often dealers won't even know WHO wove a basket and will put a made-up name on a basket. Our cooperative STRIVES to be completely accurate with all of our weavers works and their names. THAT is why we put a photo of the weaver (often but not always of the weaver actually holding THE basket) on all our baskets and give a brief biography. We can OFTEN give a more detailed biography on our master weavers upon request.

COMPARING BASKETS

When considering prices, you MUST compare similar baskets. This is often not easy to do. For example, take two baskets of similar quality and size from closely skilled weavers. Now look at the COLORS of the baskets - the one with earth tone colors sells for $150 while the other one has reds, purples and violets and its price is MORE THAN DOUBLE at $350. The natural dyes that are used to produce the reds, pinks, purples and violets are much more difficult to source (limited to a few short weeks a year when the berries are ripe and available) and are very difficult to make - so they are considerably more expensive than more standard colors. Many colors are also known only to one family or small group of weavers and are considered tightly guarded secreats. Thus even colors can have a dramatic influence on the price of a basket!

Not all Zulu basket are alike. Here's some tips and guidelines when evaluating a basket you are considering purchasing (we HIGHLY recommend you see baskets in person - be VERY wary of buying baskets in an auction or online unless you can evaluate the basket and return it if you are not happy.

First you must consider if the basket appeals to you. Is it pleasant to look at? We strongly suggest you first view the basket from a distance - as it would usually viewed when first entering a room. If you initially look at the basket from very close-up, it may not give you a true appreciation for the baskets shape, form and design.
Now consider the structure of the basket and the tightness of the weave. Squeeze the basket. Does it feel firm? Does it feel spongy? The sturdier the basket, the more experienced the weaver's skill.
Look at the execution of the weave. Is it even throughout? The coils should be uniform in size and thickness from the top of the basket to the bottom.
Look at the finesse of the weave; is the individual stitches on the coils of the basket made with small, thin strips or wider strips of Ilala palm? Look at the tightness of the weave. What is the thickness of the coil? The larger and / or taller the basket, the thicker the coil must be or else the basket will eventually collapse within itself. If the thickness is even and small, this means that the weaver has had to stitch the coil with the grass reeds being wet when they are soft and more pliable. Weaving "wet" is harder than working "dry" as most weavers use dried strips and with thicker coils as it is easier and faster to complete.
Look at the design. Is it complex? The flame pattern or zigzag is the easiest to weave. If the bands are continuous, are there any further embellishments to the pattern? How many color changes are there in the bands? The more colors means the weaver has to make more varieties of dye bath and use multiple threaded needles or change out the color of the fronds being used. All these steps take more time.
Look at the uniformity in the design. Are the symbols and motifs repeated evenly? Are the forms pleasant? Is the overall impact of the design on the basket complementing the basket shape?
How many colors has the weaver incorporated into the basket? Some colors take more time and are much more difficult to execute, thus they are more valuable (rare).
Look at the lid. How well does it fit? Is the lip oversize? Many standard weavers often let someone else or a junior weaver make the lid. Check the design on the lid. Does it match and fit into the overall basket design? Look at the neck of the lid (the inside rim of the lid). Is it clean? Are there any exposed wrapping?

WHEN WAS THE BASKET MADE?

As strange as it sounds - you must also consider WHEN the basket was commissioned and finished and when it was "purchased." The exchange rate of the US dollar vs. the South African Rand is highly volatile (and not in the US's favor currently). Thus a basket commissioned and purchased by someone five years ago (say when the exchange rate was 12.4 Rand to 1 US dollar) is going to be less expensive than one purchased this year (while varied, there is approx. 5.7 Rand to the Dollar - thus a basket costs roughly 2x what it did five years ago!) simply because the exchange rate was more favorable five years ago.

You would not walk on to a car lot and expect a used Toyota to cost the same as a brand new Ferrari. Think for a moment: Say you purchased your house five years ago - has it gone up in value? Of course it has! So have baskets....

Buyer beware! We GUARANTEE the quality of the baskets we sell. Before buying a basket - PLEASE educate yourself. If you have specific questions or want to learn the difference between various qualities of baskets come into our gallery or call us and we'll be happy to discuss it at length with you.

COST OF GETTING THE BASKET TO YOU

You must also take into consideration all the efforts it takes to get baskets from the remote areas where they are woven to where you live. This includes vehicle and fuel costs, gifts and bonuses for the weavers, the cost of advancing materials and deposits to the weavers, as well as the cost of the armed escorts (consider this: when traveling in remote areas with tens of thousands of dollars in cash you MUST have armed guards with every member of your team and with every vehicle. The shipping costs are also often significant - we ship our baskets by container and the baskets must be carefully packed so that they are well protected from humidity and moisture.

The cost of overhead of the gallery or store the basket is purchased from will also factor into the price (how much does someone in a small town pay per square foot of rent versus a gallery in Manhattan?)

In addition to quality, you must also consider how many hands a basket passes through from the producer to the end consumer. Even within the big cities of South Africa, a basket often passes from the weaver to a local representative who sells their basket to a runner who sells this basket to someone else who sells it to a gallery who ultimately sells it to the customer. Here in the states few galleries or stores buy directly from the weavers and when they do, they often buy the baskets that were either rejected or sold in the local market because they didn't meet our or other's strict quality standards.

THE BASKETS THAT ZANZIBAR OFFER BYPASSES THESE "MIDDLE MEN". Essentially our baskets are purchased through a cooperative directly from the weavers and a significant portion of the retail prices goes back to the weavers. For us to acquire the best baskets, they must commissioned - giving the weaver a deposit toward the finished product and often more money as the baskets are completed (some of which takes months and months to make). We sell our baskets all year round in our gallery, however twice a year (in the spring and fall) we have a special three day sale and benefit where we showcase hundreds of baskets and offer them at very favorable discounts. If you'd like to learn more about how the weavers benefit, see the question "How are the women compensated?" below.

AVERAGE COSTS OF BASKETS

What can you expect to pay? Small herb and apprentice baskets range from the $12 to $24 range. Standard weaver baskets (depending on size and style) range anywhere from $24 - $200 (usually in the $80-$140 range but can go over $200 for larger baskets). Master Weaver baskets start at around $180 (sometimes lower) and go over $3,000.00, depending on size, style, quality and complexity of weave and how well known the weaver is. Most of the master, museum quality baskets we commission sell between $180 and $600.00.

We have historically commissioned some very large (over five feet tall) baskets (over $3,000). While we still stock some of these larger baskets, we are less likely to commission them these days because of their expense and the fact that very few weavers are living that are capable of producing them (as of October 2006, only TWO living weavers can make baskets over four feet tall). Very likely, large baskets will become increasingly scarce in the years to come. If you are interested in large baskets or would like to consider commissioning one, please contact us! (Tribal Home has commissioned the largest, second largest and third largest Zulu baskets ever made. The largest was over seven feet tall and nineteen feet around and took 17 months to create. One family created these huge baskets, regrettably the mother and two daughters have died since 2004.

If you have a particular style, pattern, color, favorite weaver or size of basket you are looking for, please let us know and we'll be glad to send you photos of a few of the HUNDREDS of baskets we have in stock and or arrange to have the basket(s) that match your interest(s) in our gallery for you to review. Large Zulu baskets for museums and corporate or public art display (loan), sale, rental and leasing also available. Custom commissioned pieces MAY also be available. Please contact Scott Farrell at (916) 443-2057.

3. What does it take to become a master weaver?

To be considered a Master Zulu Basket Weaver, a title that is given by fellow weavers, a woman (or man in rare instances) must show that they have an overall grasp and skill in ALL aspects of basket production. These aspects include: Preparing and dying of the materials (palm fibers), tight weaving, good proportion, smooth transitions and shapes, even design spacing and overall quality of weave, shape and design. Master weavers are also the only ones who will undertake the making of larger baskets - as without skill and a very tight weave, large baskets simply collapse under their own weight. CONSISTENCY of quality is also a factor. Some standard weavers can produce a beautiful, master-quality basket one time - and the next basket is just horrible.

Thus, there are standard weavers who can consistently weave a very tight, well formed basket with even spaced designs, however they may not for example, do their own preparation or dying of materials - thus they are not given the title of Master Weaver. Some women excel at one step or another but very few master all the steps in weaving a basket. While there are about 40 master weavers within our cooperative, only about 15 are currently weaving consistently.

Young women start out learning basket making from their grandmothers or mothers or aunts. They often start out assisting with preparing the materials or weaving odds and ends left over. This is very much a volunteer apprentice-type program and a girl has to want to learn basket making to undertake the training that is required. While many young girls show an interest in weaving, very few keep at it for more than a short period. Weavers are first APPRENTICE weavers, then JUNIOR weavers, then STANDARD weavers, and finally SUPERIOR STANDARD weavers prior to them becoming a MASTER weaver. Very few (less than a dozen) Master weavers go onto being a WORLD CLASS MASTER weaver.

While there is no specific age when someone becomes a master weaver (and baskets that are not master weavers are often nearly as fine) it often takes decades of weaving for a woman to perfect her skills. When eyesight or upper body strength begins to fade, master weavers often weave smaller "herb" baskets that do not require the meticulous work of the larger pieces. How can you tell the difference between the various grades of weavers? Well, with a little practice and common sense and a few examples, most people can begin to distinguish between the graduations.

4. Are the materials for the baskets sustainably harvested?

Yes. In actuality, few of the weavers harvest their own ilala materials. Why? Basically, because of over harvesting of the iLala palm by the Zulus combined with the purposeful destruction of the traditional groves by Europeans during the 19th century (in an attempt to subjugate the Zulus and make them less self dependant) has resulted in very few Ilala palms growing naturally in their traditional areas. Good news, though... one family (about 4 - 8 hours from the cluster of villages that we buy most of our baskets from) sustainably grows and harvests the fronds from the Ilala palm trees. The trees are not killed. The South African government strictly controls the harvesting of iLala palms (both for basket crafting as well as for the production of palm wines/beer). The various grasses and dyes that are secondary to the production of the baskets are typically collected (or grown) by the weavers and are all sourced from non-endangered plants.

5. How are the women Compensated?

The cooperative that we support buys and commissions baskets directly with the weavers. Baskets are paid for by cash (and sometimes trade goods like flour and other basics when requested by the weavers). Basket prices are determined by the weavers ability, quality of the basket, colors and size. Our weavers are given the finest raw materials of iLala palm fronds free of charge. They receive a deposit from us when we commission the basket(s) and are paid in full upon the completion of the basket(s). Bonuses of flour and sugar are also given.

Baskets are measured in centimeters around the outside. A certain level of weaver for a certain style of basket will be paid X amount per cm. Women are very fairly compensated for their work. Over the years the cooperative has increased the amounts paid per cm. The cooperative members usually give the weavers a deposit when requesting a specific size basket. Weavers are often fiercely independent, however and don't always take direction well (or at all) - they produce what they want when they want it. Some weavers are very dependably while getting others to produce a basket is like pulling teeth! The weavers know when the cooperative's twice yearly buying trips are and usually finish their baskets to coincide with these visits. While the cooperative has two main collecting trips per year, we actually have representatives visiting most of the weavers every month. This consistency is important because if the women have an emergency and need funds we are generally available.

A runner is usually sent ahead to the various villages letting them know in advance when the cooperative's caravan will arrive. Often women from remote areas will congregate at their homesteads or village's master-weavers residence, chiefs residence or at a pre-determined location, awaiting the cooperative's buyers. This is a fun time, often relatives and friends seeing each other and catching up on gossip and news. Usually one women acts as the head of a group of women and designates which weavers are seen and what they will be paid (based on their skill level).

Tape measures and or strings are fitted around the baskets and then are laid out along the tailgate of one of the pickup trucks - with markings CLEARLY designating how much money will be paid for how many centimeters. Weavers are paid in CASH.

The cooperative works as a non-profit with volunteer labor and staffing. The cooperative has a zero employee overhead budget currently (i.e. no payrolls, no stipends, no travel allowances and no bonuses). The retail cost of the baskets are determined by the amount the women are paid, the shipping costs (via sea cargo), warehousing costs and insurance costs plus a modest markup. A significant percentage of our retail price (usually 75%) of the price paid goes directly back to the weavers.

Zanzibar always has a fine selection of Zulu baskets in stock and also hold regular shows, sales and benefits where the majority of the net proceeds goes back to the weavers and the various programs the cooperative has put into place. Participating members of the cooperative purchase their own airfares, provide their own lodging and travel (vehicle) expenses on the buying trips to South Africa and take no salary or compensation. The cooperative has put a variety of programs into effect to assist women and children of Zulu weavers and your purchase of a Zulu basket helps to fund these programs.

6. Do you ship from South Africa?

Not really, no. The baskets that we offer for sale are all from inventory that is warehoused here in the United States (most in California although the cooperative also maintains a small warehouse in New York). Zanzibar Tribal Art Gallery usually maintains a reasonable inventory and twice each year has a large show, sale and benefit where hundreds of baskets are featured. The cooperative typically does not ship baskets directly from South Africa to clients, as shipping baskets via air is expensive. The baskets normally arrive via one of two sea containers from South Africa to the states (which can take from 5 weeks to several months) which Tribal home ships each year. In rare instances the cooperative can and do ship baskets from South Africa. We CAN ship baskets to most countries in the world. Shipping baskets CAN be expensive as we DOUBLE box these baskets to protect them. Large baskets often are oversized and must be shipped via TRUCK and not UPS, FEDEX, USPS Mail or DHL.

7. How will I know which weaver made a particular basket?

All master woven baskets come with a laminated card that features a photograph of the weaver, her (his) name and brief description of the basket and bio of the weaver. Additional biographic information is available for most of our weavers. All standard woven baskets come with a description card featuring the type of basket and the weaver's name. Baskets are not signed, however many master weavers have a distinctive style that is instantly recognizable to us and to those familiar with their work (we've seen many poor imitations crafted by less experienced weavers sold as well known master weaver's work by other dealers. Since we KNOW the weavers very well, we guarantee the authenticity of the baskets we sell). Beware: Many baskets sold in South African may have made up names attached or no names at all! All of our standard weaver baskets come with a tag with the weavers name. Junior weavers and grandmother herb baskets do not come with a name as they are impossible to distinguish oftentimes.

8. How tight is the weave of a good basket? How many stitches per square inch?

Oh, tough question! There are several weaving styles and tightness of weave varies between the different style of baskets, materials being used as well as from weaver to weaver. A good master weaver's water tight basket can have 180 to 300 (and sometimes more!) stitches per square inch of basket! Some basket types (and sizes) have different weave frequencies and tight weaving does not always designate the quality of a basket. You should also consider the consistency of the width of the iLala palm fronds and the tightness of the coil.

9. How long does it take to weave a basket?

Oh, another tough question! Again, this depends a lot on the weaver, their skill, the type and size of basket and how many hours each day a weaver dedicates to weaving. Often collecting, splitting and dying/preparing the raw materials takes as long as it actually takes to weave the basket.

Our smallest herb baskets made by our master grandmother weavers can be done in less than a day. A typical herb basket by an apprentice or junior weaver can take three or four days. Smaller standard baskets can be woven in a few weeks while larger baskets take months to finish. Obviously finer woven, baskets with complex designs or larger baskets take longer.

The largest basket we've had (and we think the largest EVER made) took 17 months to complete, pretty much dedicating 8 plus hours each day, 6 plus days a week! If you purchase a basket from us, we can give you an approximate length of time it took to weave a given basket. Not all weavers are full time weavers (weaving five or six days a week, eight hours a day). Most Zulu basket weavers weave seasonally and between their other chores - thus some work a four or five hours each day while others work more or less. Obviously work in the garden and the children come first. Sometimes collecting, preparing and dying the materials can take as long or longer than the actual weaving of the basket!

10. Why do some of the Zulu women appear to have red or white faces? And what's up with them SMILING SO BIG?

The red or white that many Zulu weavers have on their face is a natural clay ocher that acts as a natural sun screen. As to why they smile so big (with full white teeth showing and their eyes open so wide) is that Zulus don't usually smile and when they do they tend to REALLY exaggerate it. While to some people it might seem stereotypical its just the way they smile. We should all be so happy (or at least appear so!). Trust us, getting a Zulu to smile isn't always easy!

11. Will these baskets be around in 10, 20, 100 years?

The art of making Zulu baskets was almost lost twice in the last 200 years. It is doubtful that it will be lost again, HOWEVER - we've seen a real renaissance in basket making in the last 20-30 years. Consider Native American Indian Baskets about 100 years ago: to meet the demand of traveling tourists, baskets got smaller, more sophisticated in design, colors were improved and some of the very finest work was done.. how many Native American weavers are actively weaving today? A few hundred, MAYBE? More likely dozens if that.

Zulu basket making won't be lost, however the VERY FINEST baskets have been made and are being made in the last ten years. 2/3rds of our weavers are HIV positive and many of the older weavers that are not HIV positive are no longer weaving due to either illnesses or because they received stipends (pensions) from the South African Government (about 120 US $ per month - enough to survive on without making baskets). We're losing weavers every day of AIDS. Without the best weavers to encourage and teach the younger generations, we may very well be in the GOLDEN years of Zulu baskets. Certainly the two most collected basket weavers (Beauty who is HIV positive and Rueben who is 65 and has Parkinson's disease) won't be with us much longer. NOTE: Rueben passed away of anti-biotic resistant TB in June 2007 and his baskets increased in value ten fold within the few days of his death.

12. CHEERS MATE! Beer, beer, beer... are Zulus obsessed with beer?

Low alcohol beer (about 1% alcohol) made from either fermented sorghum or millet or a combination of both is a constant in Zulu homes and homesteads. Remember, much of the Zulu homeland is at a high elevation - 6,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level and it is usually cold (note all the weavers wearing blankets) and the mild alcohol probably helps keep them warm!

Beer is offered whenever a visitor comes to a Zulu home and is served at special occasions such as weddings and funerals. Traditionally each home has a large terracotta (clay) fermenting pot in the back corner of the hut (today, many of these traditional pots have been replaced by plastic tubs). Water, either millet or sorghum and a starter yeast (not the type used in brewing beer, but usually just a cooking yeast is added and is allowed to ferment. When the pot gets low, more water, grain and occasionally yeast is added - thus the concoction varies in intensity, flavor and consistency from day to day.

What does it taste like? Well, it really doesn't taste like beer in most Westerner or European's taste buds opinions. Its been compared to, well... best not to say. But it is NASTY.

Typically the beer is ladled out of the fermentation pot (historically it would have been with a hand carved wild olivewood ladle, however today it is usually a tin or metal ladle), strained through an ilala palm woven strainer and put into a 12 - 15" tall bulb shaped Ukhamba (beer basket) that acts as a communal (everyone shares) mug. The Ukhamba is the most commonly woven style of Zulu basket.

The Ukhamba is passed around while everyone visits and catches up on gossip. As the container is emptied, more beer is served, usually in progressively smaller Ukhambas... until one has overstayed their welcome and the "stingy" basket comes out (which is tiny... about the size of a baseball!). This means it is time to go - you've overstayed your welcome and drank too much beer!

In Zulu culture, Zulus RARELY say "NO", as it is considered rude. They often will say YES even when they know that they mean NO just to save you both the embarrassment. This often confuses Westerners who are often frustrated by this always wanting to appease. If you overstay your welcome, fear not - your hosts will probably visit you tomorrow and drink all of your beer!

Beer is common, usually home brewed and thus can (like everywhere in the world) become a problem and some Zulus are basically drunkards. Sad, but true.

13. Are Zulu baskets really water tight? They will hold water and won't leak?

For the most part, yes! However, there are several different types of Zulu baskets and weaving stitches. The most common stitches are the figure eight (which if done correctly, is basically water tight) and the herb basket stitch, which is not (this weave is actually suppose to allow air to circulate but keep bugs out of the grain baskets, herb and medicine baskets).

Essentially, if good quality grasses (which are typically marsh grasses and resistant to rot) and iLala palm is used and the weave is done tightly, if you pour liquid into the basket, the palm fibers will absorb a tiny bit of the liquid, swell and thus the baskets will hold water. Some baskets are specifically to fetch or store water, while others are used to temporarily store or serve beer.

14. What are some of the challenges facing collecting these baskets?

Challenges are many and varied and go beyond the challenges of importing baskets made of organic material into the US! Some of the challenges include:

	Traveling in remote areas with large amounts of cash. We have to take special precautions and hire armed guards. Running roadblocks and avoiding being kidnapped is just some of the challenges faced each collecting trip. We also are not very specific about which day(s) we will be visiting but have to be more round about (we'll be there sometime next week). Fuel and flat tires are also a big hassle!
	Traveling to remote villages (often requiring HOURS of 4-wheel driving with no roads on often very steep inclines!
	Flat tires (on one of Scott's collecting trips to Africa, he had 13 flat tires in three days! No, really! ... and that was on ONE vehicle.
	HIV and AIDS: We've lost many friends, artisans and weavers to these devastating diseases which are rampant in South Africa.
	CONSISTENTLY buying baskets from the weavers so they have a regular income. Currently the cooperative has a member who makes monthly buying trips to most of the villages. Usually two trips a year are made by cooperative volunteers from the states, to finalize the shipments and visit the weavers.
	Finding quality weavers that won't just take the deposit(s) and materials and sell the baskets to someone else! Most weavers (esp our Master weavers) are honest and produce the baskets that are commissioned, but some are lazy and just want to get paid for doing nothing! We also, regrettably, lose some weavers (some move away, others pass on).
	Finding the weavers: Sometimes weavers go off for a wedding or funeral the week we're there.. so we may not receive a basket for up to a year after it is completed!
	Buying the supplies: Since most weavers don't have access to the iLala palm fibers that most baskets are made from, the cooperative has to source these materials and advance (give) them to the weavers prior to commissioning a basket. The palms are grown a great distance from the villages.
	Doing business in a country where poverty is rampant. On our buying trips in the bush we MUST hire a security detail as a deterrent (when carrying large quantities of cash you must be protected from robbery and kidnap).
	Getting the weavers to produce what size and color baskets you want (can sell). Weavers are often very independent and often it's a dance to convince them to produce what sells.
	Working with an unfavorable exchange rate (a few years ago the exchange rate was approx. 12 plus Rand to the US dollar - today it is closer to 5 - 6 Rand for 1 dollar - thus baskets cost over twice as much as they did just a few years ago just based on the weakness of the dollar!)
	Dealing with bureaucracy in exporting the baskets from South Africa.
	Arranging for packing of the baskets so they won't be damaged or mold on the long journey from Africa to the US. Once the baskets arrive, they must go through a variety of checks, including by Fish and Wildlife, Dept. of Fish and Game, US Marshals, and clear Customs . Organic material must go through fumigation and or cold storage prior to being allowed into the US. Sometimes containers must be open and inspected, X-rayed or go through an MRI-like scan.
	Making sure we commission/source the correct number and size of baskets. For shipping costs to be minimal, we must FILL the two containers a year the cooperative brings in - thus we MUST have our weavers follow through and give us the baskets we commission or there is empty space in the container and ALL the baskets must absorb this increased shipping cost.
	Alcoholism. Sad, but true. Even with only1% alcohol, Zulu beer does have a habit of robbing the productive lives of some of the most talented weavers.
	HIV/AIDS - roughly 66% (2 out of every 3) of our weavers are HIV positive and each year dozens die of AIDS or related illnesses.
	Government stipends/retirement. Post Apartied, the South African government grants all Zulus over the age of 58 years a monthly stipend. While this is a good thing, as many of the older generations had little or no education under Apartied and thus are not skilled workers, this small stipend is just enough to live off of (about $120 US a month) and it is enough incentive that many older weavers stop weaving and just relax - well, good for them but of course it takes some of the most skilled weavers out of the pool.
	Not selling enough baskets! We'd LOVE to sell more. The more baskets we sell the more people we can make a difference in their lives! We currently collect baskets from about 15 villages - and there are many other weavers in other villages that would like to sell us baskets - however several factors are limiting us: demand for more baskets, the ability of a master weaver to take charge and train other weavers so that their quality is of the caliber we require, access to these often remote villages and ability to help everyone that we'd like to. How can you help? Buy a basket!

...and after ALL the above (and more!) is it worth it? Yes. ...and you know why? Because when it comes right down to it... selling these baskets HELPS the people (the Zulu) who weave them live better, more fulfilling lives.

END

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10/10/11

AFRICAN BASKETS BY MASTER ZULU WEAVERS