Traditional imbenge baskets are made of ilala palm and grass fibers, using a tight coiling technique, and they are made with loops on one side so that they may hung up when not in use. Imbenge may be woven with swirling zigzag patterns, and they are often embellished with beads. Both men and women learn to make imbenge, which are used for serving food as covers for beer pots; although the foods served in these baskets tends to be relatively dry, the coiling of imbenge is so tight that the baskets hold in moisture, which makes them serve well as covers for the large clay vessels used for brewing beer. Although these are common household objects, the more elaborately designed imbenge are traditionally associated with respected men and respected older women.

The Imbenge Basket with Pink Weaving is a relatively small and simple version of the imbenge basket with no hanging loops, so it likely was made for the tourist trade. While it is made using traditional materials and using a coiling technique, it is decorated very simply, with added fibers that have been dyed a bright pink and that have been stitched through the outer coils of the basket.  Researched by Amilya Frogge

The telephone wire basket is a Zulu artform developed in the 20^th-century. Inspired by traditional Zulu imbenge baskets, these are contemporary pieces that are used as decorative artforms rather than as practical basketry for serving food or for covering beer pots. Made from the brightly colored plastic wires and the plain copper wires found in discarded bundles of telephone wire, Zulu artisans have embraced this artform both for expression and as a commodity to be sold in the tourist trade. In the 21^st century, telephone wire baskets have become even more complex, with weavers today creating increasingly intricate versions. With their traditional forms and designs and the use of imported materials, combined using ingenuity and creativity, these baskets are an excellent example of Zulu international art. Researched by Amilya Frogge

A caxixi is an idiophone, or percussion instrument, that originated in western Africa. Many different forms of caxixi developed in Africa, made in many different materials.  However, the caxixi is much more well-known today in South America, especially in Brazil, where it was adopted from African cultures and has become an extremely popular instrument. The small caxixi in this exhibit is therefore relatively unusual not only in its size, in its form, and in its materials, but in being made by a Bamana craftsperson from western Africa where the instrument originated. Researched by Amilya Frogge

Zulu Herb Baskets are made using a coil technique that involves tightly wrapping palm leaf fiber over a foundation fiber, likely a grass rope coil. The stitch used to make these baskets, sometimes called the “lazy stitch,” uses intermittent variation to create a woven stepped pattern. The beige color on the baskets is the natural color of the palm leaves, while the black, maroon, and brown colors are dyed leaves, and these colors are intended to reflect the sex and gender of the owner. These baskets are each made with a skillfully woven lid that provides a tight seal, which is meant to protect the grain or the herbs that are typically stored inside. Researched by Amilya Frogge

 

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu