African Basketry: Grassroots Art from Southern Africa

Abstract

Basketry is both art and craft - representing the finest blend of African culture, environment and technology. Technical skill, knowledge of materials and creativity combine to produce forms that are simultaneously practical and graceful, of utility and beauty. A dramatic increase in the sales and export of African baskets since the 1970s reflects the growing regional and international appreciation of basketry as an art form. Equally rapid has been the associated change in styles, designs and the availability of raw materials. Unlike pottery that endures over time, baskets seldom survive the centuries, and their artistry tends to be overlooked. Southern Africa has a rich tradition of basketry, and a book on this much-neglected subject is, at last, being published. This comprehensive book documents the origins, historical context, usage, and raw materials utilized in the crafting of different types of basketry in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, southern Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, as well as in the mid-Zambezi area of western Zambia, and part of south-eastern Angola.

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