Each $5.00 ticket gives you a chance at winning this bundle of four stunning African textiles. Includes:
Mud Cloth or Bogolonfini (approximately 43” x 70”)
Mud cloth, or Bogolonfini, is woven in long, slender strips which are stitched together to create a larger cloth. Made from hand-spun cotton, mud cloth is created in colors derived from secret recipes of natural mineral and vegetable dyes. Men hand-weave the plain cotton cloth and women dye the complex patterns, passing down the recipes and processes from mother to daughter.
Dansika (one size fits most – should fit anyone under 6 feet tall; approximately 27” x 39”, with a 6” x 8” neck opening.)
This garment is hand stitched from handwoven strips of cloth and has pockets on the front. It is a pullover top similar to a dashiki from Nigeria or a huipil from Guatemala. The weight of the fabric is much heavier as it is used for warmth in Northern Ghana (this garment weighs 5.5 pounds!) Dansika is the Gurune name for this smock which is made from Fugu cloth. This dansika was made for Cael Chappel as a gift from the basketweavers in the Bolgatanga area of Ghana. If you know Cael, you may know he’s 6’4” and it’s just too small for him!
Two Kuba Shoowa Mats (aproximately 22” x 27” and 23” x 28”)
Eye-catching and earthy, these decorative mats are made from raffia. They can be framed or used to make pillows. While Shoowa mats are traditionally carried by elders in baKuba villages to use as sitting mats, the natural colors, intricate patterns, and abundance of texture make these textiles a versatile interior design element. The mats are made from natural raffia palm leaf; the leaves are split and fibers are soaked and beaten to soften them, then they are twisted back together for strength. Shoowa Mats are woven using a technique which creates a cut-pile velvet similar to carpet, creating a wonderful, fuzzy texture.
Donated by Baskets of Africa, which pays the highest prices possible to the weavers in Africa while also providing value to customers in the US for highest quality handmade objects. WARP board member Cael Chappell, founder of Baskets of Africa, works to provide economic opportunity to weavers in Africa, empowering women and preserving culture within partner communities. Learn more at basketsofafrica.com.