Zulu basket plates and cup - blues & turquoise

Fine, intricate and individual designed plates made using plastic telephone coated wire.

Triangular plate: 20x20x3 cm
Cup: 10 x 12 cm
Round plate: 30 x 60 cm

Made by the Zulu people in the region of Durban in South Africa. They have used their skills and designs used to craft natural fibre baskets to make a more modern and brightly coloured version. The origins of this weaving is in South African mines where Zulu workers started to plait telephone wire scraps round their traditional sticks to banish boredom on night shifts.

Originally they used recycled telephone wire but now lead free materials are used. Families support themselves by weaving theses baskets. There are more than 500 families who make a fair living wage, it gives them the opportunity to send their children to school and also exercise their creativity. The wire baskets are functional, strong and durable, can be used to hold food. Can be cleaned with warm soapy water and dried.