From harvesting wild-growing river grass to prepping, dying, and weaving the straw—a multi-day process requiring immense dedication and artistic skill—attaching leather handles, bringing it to the local market in Bolgatanga, and eventually shipping it to you, every Bolga basket passes through many hands. See our gallery below to explore each step along the way, illuminating the woven artisanship of every Zuku basket
Story of a Basket
Tall-growing Veta Vera, or “elephant grass,” soon to be transformed into a Zuku basket
Collecting harvested river grass at the local straw market
A weaver using their teeth to split river grass, the first of many steps in creating a basket
Grass that has been twisted, part of the hands-on weaving preparation
Using fire to heat dyes and add vibrant coloring to the grass
Bright hues resulting from the straw-dying method
Making the first weave, how every Zuku Moses basket begins
Extending the interlocking woven pattern
Rows of weaves stacking up as this Moses basket’s initial shape comes into form
Continuing to weave in a circular design and creating the basket’s bottom
The bottom section of the basket widens with each successive time around
Finished with the “floor” of the Moses basket, the weaver starts adding differently-colored grass into the pattern on the side walls
The intricate motif of colors takes shape, an expression of the weaver’s artistic eye
Combining various colors as the weaver moves across horizontally while locking in the weave around the vertical strands, providing firmness and stability
A Moses basket’s distinctive shape, including the higher “hood” section on the right-hand side
Tightly wrapping the top edge of the Moses basket, solidifying its structure
Coiling straw and shaping it into handles, which will later have leather attached
Vertical view of the Moses basket as the weaver applies finishing touches before the last step of trimming any excess strands
A final trimming of the basket, with the interior right side already complete, working methodically around the interior and exterior
A cheerful weaver with their completed creation – a stunning Zuku basket
Artisan leatherworkers add locally tanned goat skin to the handles, making the basket soft to hold
Weavers gathered under a BaoBab tree and socializing as they work, a supportive and tight-knit community
Traveling several miles from village to market in Bolgatanga sometimes requires river crossings
A weaver transporting her newly-woven Zuku baskets to the local market
