Our beautiful handmade Binga baskets are a traditional product from Zimbabwe. The hand-woven baskets are named after the remote district of Binga - the home of the Batonga tribe.
The Tonga population is a minority that makes up about five percent of the Zimbabwean population. In 1957 they were expelled from their traditional settlements to make room for a dam on Lake Kariba. Now they live split up in a large area that is susceptible to drought and poverty. The Binga Craft Center in Zimbabwe, established by the Danish government for the purpose of continuing traditional crafts, helps the Tonga women to make the intricate pattern of these baskets through traditional weaving techniques and thereby generate a stable income to support their families.
The baskets are made from all natural and locally harvested materials, such as wild grasses, small vines and palm leaves of the Ilala palm that are painted with tree bark. Making such a basket is a labor-intensive process. Producing a basket of 35 centimeters in diameter takes an average of two weeks. Each basket has its own unique color or pattern.
The Binga baskets are a great way to bring home some traditional African craft. Mix different sizes and hang them grouped on your wall for a beautiful, natural eye-catcher on your wall.
