A fair trade arrangement with a Ghanaian friend brings us handmade baskets, tote bags, hand fans made from the local veta vera straw, also called elephant grass, from the Bolgatanga region in northern Ghana.
These handbaskets are made by Raymond Adongo, a Sr. Weaver, who learned his trade from his father, and his father's father. He travels a three-day journey from Accara to the Bolgatanga region to harvest the Elephant Grass and other materials he uses, then brings them back to Accara where he makes and sells his items in the market. Each fan is made with different variations, all of which the weavers make with a robust wrapping technique around a grass core, where leftover straw is cut off in the last step. These intricate weaving techniques have been passed down for generations in Cape Coast, Ghana, which is located in the west coast region of Africa and was known during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries for being a trading port for enslaved persons to the Bristish colonies of America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Accara Ghana African Bolga Handbasket
History/tradition Ghana Bolga Baskets
The Bolgatanga district has passed down the technique of basket weaving for generations, using the local veta vera straw to make the baskets. For the bolga baskets, the veta vera straw, also called elephant grass, is collected from the tips of the grass stalks and then each piece is split vertically into two halves. Each half of the split straw is then tightly twisted through by rolling it together to give it strength. Unless the veta vera straw is left in its natural coloring for a basket or pattern, it is dyed in boiling water, often in bright colours, before weaving. Once the material has been prepared, the basket weavers start with the bottom of the basket and build up the sides towards the top. The edges of the bolga baskets are generally flat or wrapped with straw to form a tubular rim. There are different variations for the handles of the baskets, all of which the weavers make with a robust wrapping technique around a grass core. Any leftover straw that sticks out of the basket is cut off in the last step.