Zula Ilala Palm Herb Basket
To create these traditional baskets, weavers use strips of naturally waxy palm fronds wrapped around coils of wild grasses. Some baskets can still be used for holding liquid. Watertight baskets are readied by rubbing wet cornmeal inside. When liquid is added, the coils swell. Some liquid leaks through, evaporates, and cools the contents.
Collection of these baskets in Zululand, South Africa is done by driving hundreds of miles on dirt roads going village to village and hut to hut to collect baskets from individual weavers.
The age-old tradition of basket weaving is usually passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. This helps to preserve Zulu culture as the grandmothers have the opportunity to recite oral history and stories to the younger generations as they all weave together.
Size Available: 5-7"