Binga Basket Black

These baskets are named for the remote Binga district – home to the displaced baTonga people. In the early 1960’s, their fertile lands on the Zambezi river shore were permanently buried in water during construction of the world’s largest man-made lake.

Today, many Tonga women utilize traditional weaving techniques to create intricately patterned baskets. All natural and locally harvested materials – such as wild grasses, small vines, and palm leaves dyed with tree bark – make up the baskets. The largest sized bowls are still used by the baTonga people for their original purpose of winnowing grains.