THE BASKETROOM | Bana Green, Red & White Wool Basket | Extra Large

Handwoven by weavers of the deeply creative Kamba tribe, your BANA storage basket is a genuinely unique work of Kenyan craft. This striped basket is durable enough to hold kindling and fireside logs, and supple enough to be used as nursery storage, as a large planter, or a colourful laundry basket. Wherever in the home you choose to use yours it is sure to bring a pop of Kenyan style with its earthy geometric bands of green, red and white.

All our Nifty Knits are woven using sisal and wool from recycled jumpers. The design and colour choices rest solely with the weaver – we don’t design these ones! The weavers regularly visit ‘gikombas’ (clothes markets) to select and purchase woolly jumpers which are washed and unravelled into separate balls of coloured wool. Baskets take up to four days to finish, and weaving is often completed around agricultural duties, household chores, childcare, worship and social events.

Known officially as Kiondos (kee-yon/-doh) in rural Kenyan communities, these geometric patterned baskets were once woven by mothers as wedding gifts for their daughters – both practical and beautiful. Kiondo weaving was a diminishing craft in Kenya until very recently: in 2004 only four craftswomen in this weaving cooperative had the experience to produce them, but today there are fifty active members reviving this wonderful craft.  

You become a champion of this traditional craft when you bring home one of these striped storage baskets, and an important part of our journey to support these Kenyan weavers. Our basket orders provide flexible and sustainable work for the Kamba weavers, whose primary incomes rely on farming.