Handwoven African Trivet, Midnight and Ivory is a stunning and useful one-of-a-kind piece of art and accessory for your home. Our bestselling basket size adds texture and color to any tabletop, desk, counter or wall space. This incredibly versatile Fair Trade trivet can transform any wall in your home when paired with other bowels or plates for a vibrant and curated look. A hand stitched loop is on the back of each Rwanda basket so that you can instantly enjoy this piece of ready to hang wall art.
Being handcrafted as with all artisan produced items, they will vary slightly in size and color. This is an inherent characteristic and it's uniqueness is desirable, not a defect
MATERIAL: Woven Seagrass
ORIGIN: Rwanda, Africa from a Fair Trade Weaving Collective
DIMENSIONS: 9" L x 9" W x .5" H
FACTS & HISTORY: Traditional fibers used in basketry reflect the local habitat. They include, sea grass, illala palm, sisal leaves and fiber, raffia (African bamboo), fibrous tree and plant roots such as makenge, vines, leaves (banana and fan palm), cane, bark wood and papyrus.
Two types of vegetative fiber are normally used to make a coiled basket, one for the inner coil and one for the wrapping of the coils. For example, in Uganda and Rwanda, baskets are woven from seagrass, raffia or papyrus wrapped and stitched around a coil of banana leaf stems. Grass is often used for the core of the coils.
Historically, baskets have been used for agricultural practices such as winnowing and sifting and the collecting and carrying of crops as well as portage of produce to markets.
Not only does it continue to play an integral part in modern community life but it has evolved to a highly expressive contemporary art form.
African basketry is a dynamic craft, altered by social changes and shaped by both environmental and economic factors. Traditionally, shapes and weaves were determined largely by the uses for what the baskets were intended.
Nowadays, while the methods of basket making are still held in regard, the materials have significantly changed from natural fibers to include man-made creations like plastic, wire and recycled products.
