Kenkansia Art Basket

Gurunsi artisans in Bolgatanga, Northern Ghana, shape this basket from elephant grass, building it tier by tier so the form steps outward and inward in a sequence of bands rather than rising in one smooth line.

A fine geometric pattern runs continuously across every tier, carried without a break from one level to the next, which takes a steady, practised hand to keep aligned as the shape shifts. Each basket is made start to finish by a single artisan, so the pattern carries that person's own particular rhythm, their own way of spacing the weave and setting the colour, which is why no two baskets, even from the same hands, turn out identical.

Built to hold its own from any side, the piece has a quiet architectural logic to it, each tier answering the one before it, the whole form balanced and tactile enough to be walked around rather than simply looked at.

Dimensions
61 cm W × 101.6 cm H
For indoor use only.

Lead time
Please allow up to 12 weeks.

As with all handwoven pieces, slight shifts in tone, form and pattern are part of its individuality.