A network of rural Wolof women in nine Senegalese villages are working together to create beautiful handcrafted baskets for export. Using locally harvested cattail stalks and strips of plastic used to make prayer mats, the women bring supplemental income to their households by weaving baskets between their daily duties.

• Fair Trade | Heritage Handcraft
• Approximately 13"L x 13"W x 15"H
• Made in Senegal 

ORIGIN: 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.

WHY BUY: Perfect for small storage, these modern African baskets work both as functional storage and an accent of handcrafted decor.