Have you ever seen a Tonga basket? Could this be the first time you are hearing about it? Tonga baskets are superior quality, hand-woven baskets that are sourced from Africa. They come from the Southern Province of Zambia and are designed by the Tonga women who are known for their excellent basket weaving skill. Boasting extremely distinctive arty designs, these African baskets have a firm square base. About basket construction Tonga baskets are constructed from the ilala palm. This palm is known as mapokwe in Tonga language. It is a naturally growing palm that is harvested and used to make these lovely baskets. As their basket weaving art has received global recognition, the Tonga women have to produce as...
To create stunning walls these days, people are using simple and natural-looking things like baskets and hats. For instance, Tonga baskets are currently the most sought after wall décor items. Straight from Africa, these baskets are colorful, graphic and unique. Made with ilala palm leaves, these African baskets are purely woven with hands. They are made by the Tonga women of Zambia and it takes about two weeks to complete just one of these. Designed accurately and perfectly, these baskets are long-lasting and ever stylish; they never look old or out of fashion. How popular are Tonga baskets now? Some designers have become addicted to these African wall baskets and find it almost impractical to work without them. Once you...
Aside from their aesthetic value, another great thing that makes Tonga baskets a worthy buy is that they’re easy to maintain. They’re practically one of those hang-and-forget type of products. But of course, they do get dirty. When it comes to this, we all know that it's far easier to head off a problem before it takes root. So we recommend giving them some TLC from time to time. How often should you clean your African Tonga basket? Well, this will depend on where it’s located inside your home. Dusting it once every two weeks is enough if they’re placed on a spot that doesn’t really gather that much dust, kitchen stains, insect droppings, or any other minute debris. This...
Have you seen one of these African Tonga baskets up close? They’re really gorgeous, well-crafted, and eco-friendly! Most people took a liking to these baskets because of those three features. To be honest, that’s more than enough for it to be considered as a worthy buy. But if you prefer to dig deep, you’ll see that they go beyond the borders of aesthetics. They’re not only filled with a rich history; they also embody an ethnic group’s desire to achieve a sustainable livelihood and the fight to preserve a local heritage as well. But out of all that, the most interesting feature of Tonga baskets is this: they’re empowered by spirits. More on this later. First, let’s take a look...
Notice we said “tips” instead of “guide”? Well, there’s a reason for that. It’s because there are really no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to decorating your home with African Tonga baskets. These baskets are so versatile that the possibility of using them as décor is pretty much endless! So whether you’ve recently bought—or is seriously thinking of buying one soon—a Tonga basket because you have a growing appreciation of African mores or simply because you’re just one of those cultured individuals with good taste, allow us to give you a couple of jumping-off points on how to use them. Below are some ways that you can make your walls eclectically fabulous through the addition of Tonga baskets or African...
