Zulu wire baskets, called imbenge, are hand-woven baskets that use both bare and plastic-coated wire. The imbenge originated when Zulu men, taking breaks from their work at factories, began weaving baskets from discarded scraps of telephone wire. The popularity of these baskets has encouraged the development of imbenge to become a sought-after artform, and today imbenge are typically made of new wire, with the baskets produced in many shapes and sizes and with complex designs. Researched by Jonathan Kodner

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