Imbenge Telephone Wire Baskets
Imbenge Telephone Wire Baskets
For centuries South Africa's Zulu people have been famous for the sturdy and beautiful baskets they weave from grasses and palm leaf. The weaving was so tight that the best ukhamba baskets were actually used to store beer! Today these baskets are still woven in the countryside, but the Zulus living in urban area have invented a new kind of basket, the imbenge basket woven entirely of recycled telephone wire. The baskets are as bright and colorful as the telephone wire, and very sturdy. They are also completely washable! In recent years people in craft cooperatives in the the neighboring nation of Zimbabwe have developed their own distinct style of telephone wire basket,
Detail of Jaheni Mkhize at work on a"soft basket".
Woven Telephone Wire-covered Bottle
Unknown artist - Zulu people, South Africa
Recycled telephone wire on glass bottle
(11 1/2" h. x 3 1/2" w.)
Comments
While the wire work is admittedly beautiful, the wire used is unfortunately not always "recycled". There is a big problem in South Africa with telephone exchange boxes being vandalised in order to get this wire. The same problem exists with underground cables even!
Posted by: Sandra | April 21, 2006 10:08 PM