Coil-work Basket

Zainabu taught other women in the refugee camp in Uganda how to make these coiled baskets, which hark back to heritage basketry work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She can make them quickly although the technique is a difficult one. First the coils have to be made of reed and then these have to be carefully bound together with narrow strips of raffia from Madagascar. Zainabu selects various hues of reeds and works in designs by employing several different colors to make geometric designs.  These baskets with their upturned edges can be used as containers for a variety of objects or foods. Zainabu used to make other crafts as well as these baskets, including embroideries. However, now she concentrates fully on these remarkable baskets, which she produces in profusion.  West African societies are famous for their coiled baskets, a common feature of village and town life and a crafting technique imported widely into the African diaspora.