Fabulous Shape Modern Pattern African Zulu Beer Basket

Description

TRADITIONAL Ukhamba Beer Basket
Watertight Weave
Tag with Weaver's Name
Certificate of Authenticity
A Special Ukhamba is a Traditional Zulu Wedding Gift
This basket is 24" around at its widest point and 11.25" tall.
Sometimes you see a Zulu basket and you know you love it.
It is also the only one of its kind in the world.
The Zulus are the largest tribe in Southern Africa, renowned for their artistry and craftsmanship. Many women make beautiful baskets using traditional art forms in order to supplement their incomes. For many this is their only means of support. Women work in their homes, assimilating basket weaving into their normal routines permitting them to raise their children, work in the fields, collect water or do other daily chores. Indigenous raw materials are used in making these hand-woven baskets. It can take up to a month to produce a medium-sized basket with its own unique size, shape and design. Each piece is a true collector's item.
We work with several collectives in South Africa that are helping women and HIV affected individuals to become financially self-sufficient.
Small traditional Zulu herb containers are used to hold culinary and medicinal herbs. Baskets made for holding herbs have a looser weave to allow the herbs to dry, while those made to hold fluids have a tighter weave. Zulu beer is made by allowing maize (corn) to soak in water in a covered basket until it is fermented. The beer is then wrung through a flexible basket and the grain is then given to the domesticated guinea hens. It is quite funny to watch the drunken hens wobble around. oh, and by the way, the beer is very tasty too.
Traditional Symbols Used in Zulu Baskets
Diamond
Female
Triangle
Male
2 Diamonds
(one above the other)
Married Woman
2 Triangles
(forming an hourglass)
Married Man
*Zig Zags
A Male Basket
("Assegais of Shaka")
*Diamond Variations
A Feminine Basket
("Shields of Shaka")
*These symbols are often combined for family baskets. Frequently each family member will have their own basket. Family baskets are commonly used to store dried goods (i.e., nuts, beans, herbs, etc.).
Common Colors Used in Zulu Baskets
Brown (Ububende)
Palm leaves are kept in muddy soil for up to a week
Khaki Green  & Khaki Brown (Mxuba)
Palm leaves are soaked and boiled in a mixture of cow dung and water
Black (Omniyama)
Palm leaves are first precolored in river mud and then boiled for 8 hours in a leaf and water mixture from the Umbuque tree.
Lilac (Ubukhwebezane)
Palm leaves are boiled in a mixture of crushed shrub leaves and water.
Pale Red (Bomvu)
Palm leaves are boiled for 2 days in a mixture of crushed Tal shrub leaves and water.
Purchase will be shipped once payment clears. New York State residents add sales tax. See our other wonderful gift items and save on shipping by making multiple purchases. Email queries welcomed. Auction winner agrees to respond by email within 3 days and pay within 10.
If you aren't already known for your great gifts, shop with us and earn a fabulous reputation. We work hard to find unusual, affordable and enduring gifts for our customers to order from home! You'll be amazed by the variety of very special gift items we have collected from all over the world.
Check out our
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for other wonderful Zulu and African crafts.
Large selection of items suitable as
K
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A
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Heritage Gifts (Zawadi).
Thanks for Looking - Worldesigns