All cultures across the globe need containers in which to carry things and the continent of Africa boasts some of the most intriguing baskets for this purpose.

Baskets made from natural and man-made material are made across Africa and the subject is vast. From Zimbabwean shallow bowls from Binga to brightly coloured baskets from South Africa, crafted with telephone wire, and the Bolga items of Ghana, wovenware from Africa has captured the imagination of designers, artists – Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani used them in their paintings – and architects worldwide. The trade in baskets goes back millennia and examples, such as this beautiful late 19th or early 20th Century piece woven for European missionaries to what is now Zambia, can be seen in museums across the globe.

For a glimpse into the making of these baskets here is a short video to delight readers: the story of Gladys Malemba from Hadithi in Kenya.

_{(Header image: Zimbabwean basket from Jairos Jiri in Bulawayo. Textile Trust studio collection.)}