Showcasing the best of African craft

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Completely obsessed over these cow's horn leather and wood sunglasses by African brand Mille Collines, made in collaboration with ethical sunglass brand Ballo. Ballo's frames are created using a combination of recycled paper and off-cut timber! How clever are the beaded straps that double as necklaces??

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Fashionably Ethical

Whilst scouring the internet for ethical fashion African brands for some much needed  shopping therapy, Studio One Eighty Nine's striking designs caught my eye! A social enterprise based in Ghana, each collection is designed with local artisans, infusing traditional artisan techniques and innovation - All things that make our heart smile!

Case in point, this bead necklace made of recycled glass. Hows it's made: "Old glass bottles are crushed into fine powder and then meticulously designed, put in clay molds and then fired into a wooden burn tendered to using recycled car parts. The bead is then washed in water and sand and strung according to our design" - studiooneeighynine.com

Pictures: Studio One Eighty Nine

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Fulani Jewelry

Our obsession with the Fulani tribe and their exquisite craftmenship continues from our last post. We are in awe of the Fulani seedpod-like Kwottenai(earrings) worn as adornment that symbolize a woman's status in society. Gold-plated and Silver-plated Knowttenai can take up to 2 weeks of full time work to complete! There is truelly so much to explore of African craft and artisanal techniques.

Picture: bowersmuseum.blogspot.co.za , smithsonian

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What happens when an innovative Dutch lighting designer using organic shapes and natural(waste) material collaborate with a group of Swaziland artisan master weavers creatively using indigenous grass in their craft?

 Magic! Designed by Nelson Sepulveda of Ayi Illuminate, these pendant lights made in collaboration with the Gone Rural project are proof that once again cross-cultural exchange of traditional and modern knowledge and skill are propellers of innovative design! Made from sisal nets and recycled t-shirt cotton, they are true pieces of art!

Pictures: Gone Rural, Damageplayground.com, Ayiilluminate.com

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Creative, clever use of simple raw material and artisanal skill! Dying over these Nyumbani Design beauties, a Tanzanian-based jewelry brand inspired by the colors and beauty of the Swahili coast. With each piece sculptured by artisan hands, it's taken creative use of wood to new levels. Bravo!

Pictures: Nyumbani Design

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We came across these seemingly simple but technically complex hand loomed beads, a collaboration by Johannesburg-based artist Joni Brenner and women’s cooperative Marigold, based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

 Made with wooden loom, beads and threads, each strand takes a full day to make and contains approximately 3000 seed beads! The loom certainly gives rise to the neat finishes and precision in color patterns and the variety of color patterns is as a result of playful combination of color threads and beads.

Artisan picture: Marigoldbeads.com

Last beadwork picture: inyourpocket.com

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The incredible precision, artistry and detail of this beadwork by the Yoruba people of Nigeria is proof that artisans, the original makers, are worthy of the artist title!

Picture: Pinterest - if you are the original owner of this picture, please let us know

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Magical Collaboration Monday

We are of the strong view that artisans are creative artists who deserve priority in the design sphere.  Artisanal craft is a 34 billion dollar, job creating sector that should matter. This collaboration between the Siyazama bead craft cooperative and Amsterdam-based BCXSY designer cooperative proves the magic that ignites through cross-cultural design exchange whilst celebrating the artisan as the "original maker".

Pictures: editionsincraft.com

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Incredible craftsmanship of the African Fulani tribe!

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African Fulani Tribe Leather Craft

Photo: Saheldesign.com

With the return of artisanal  techniques making their way back into production workshops, tassels are a prevalent ornament. We were fascinated by the traditional African Fulani leather artisanal technique that long used tassels to accentuate their masterful craft.

The largest nomadic group in the world, the Fulani people, are engrossed with a rich and fascinating history of culture, religion and craftsmanship. The origins of this African people is highly disputed, believed to have entered present day Senegal from the north and east.  Although the history of this nomadic group is undoubtably fascinating, we were hypnotized by the craftsmanship of the Gargasaajo (Fulfude), a casted leather-working artisan (form of social stratification) in the Fulani group. Fulani often entrust members of specialized castes with the fabrication of their objects. The celebrated tribe’s horsemen used to dress their steeds in vibrant tassels, handwoven by the Gargasaajo leather craftswomen. These traditional horse harnesses encompass strong braided straps which were used to accentuate the horse’s movement and turn heads, especially by the religious leaders who used them adorn their horse in order to make a grand entrance into a village.

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The Majestic Mohair fibre; A prized South African product!

We are obsessed with the heroic Angora goats producers of the luxurious mohair fibre. The Karoo region of South Africa is the largest producer of mohair in the world, with more than 50% of production! One of the oldest textile fibres known to man, mohair is a reliable animal fibre with incredible insulation and sustainable qualities. 

Often described as versatile and authentic, this majestic fibre has unbelievable characteristics such as; smoothness, durability (hard wearing), elasticity, resilience, resistance to soiling, soil shedding, setting, strength, abrasion resistance, comfort, and moisture management (including moisture absorption) and much more.  In addition to its impressive lifelong qualities, it is biodegradable in soil with life-cycle benefits. Any earth-respecting designer’s dream!

Pictures and Info: mohair.co.za

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Ohlala ! Totalement charmé par ces bracelets fabriqués à la main par des femmes Kenyanes. SasaDesignsbytheDeaf a été lancé dans le but d'offrir des salaires justes aux femmes sourdes du Kenya. Nous félicitons cette marque pour l'autonomisation d'un groupe de personnes qui ont du style et qui sont trop souvent ostracisées et oubliées par la société en raison de leur handicap. Pas de charité, un travail épanouissant ! Nous suivons cette marque de prêt ! Pictures: bigcommerce.com

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This is the magic that happens when cross-cultural artisan and designer skills and knowldege sharing infuses to create a product. We are obsessed with these carperts designed by Lio de Bruin and handmade by Cape Town Design Afrika artisans. Across South Africa you will find artisans making traditional 'izicamba' Xhosa carpets, mostly used for gifting during wedding ceremonies, handmade from looms created by the artisans themselves! Pictures: liodebruin.com

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La créatrice néozélandaise de lunette Karen Walker et a initiée une campagne de création de grande ampleur dans laquelle elle a fait équipe avec le centre de mode éthique des Nations Unies afin de collaborer avec des artisans Kenyan. De ces échanges sont nées des perles et des pochettes uniques. Nous sommes curieux de connaître l'impact de cette campagne sur les moyens de subsistance et le développement des artisans, avec l'espoir que de telles campagnes mettant en avant les mains qui réalise ces beaux produits et leurs offrent des revenus durables.

image: Pinterest: Dynamic Africa

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We always delight in finding brands that support artisan-made goods but nothing makes us happier than finding those brands that use innovative techniques to transform simple materials, while keeping it eco-friendly! 

Kudos to one such a brand based in Swaziland, Quazi Design. Quazi Design makes use of discarded magazines to create original accessories and interiors, training and employing previously unemployed women artisans; giving them opportunity to earn a living wage. We all know the progress in society when women are empowered to earn fair wages for their families! “We believe that craftsmanship and ethical production could prove to be a vital economic sector for Africa”. We couldn’t agree more!

Picture credits: Quazi Design, Minzuu

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Oh Hail the Ostrich Bead!

In this post, we want to showcase the creative power of the African people in their use of organic materials to make jewelry.

Traditionally, African people tended to use organic materials such as hide, porcupine quill, bone, animal teeth, animal hair, seeds, nuts, husks, sea and land shells, egg shell, wood, ivory and carved stone. We are especially fascinated by one of the oldest forms of material used, the Ostrich bone. 

Perforated ostrich egg shells dating back 40 000 years were discovered for the first time in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. Originally trade beads, In Southern Africa ostrich beads were made by the San Bushman who are the last Stone Age tribe still in existence today. They may look boring at first glance in the realm of glossy colorful glass beads and gem stones, but they have an intriguing history and story. 

How they are Made 

Step 1: The Bushman collects the eggs or find egg shell remains which he then breaks into pieces. 

Step 2: The fascinating part! He then nibbles around the edges with his teeth until it reaches the circular shape and size desired! Sometimes a stone is used to achieve smoother edges. 

Step 3: Lastly, he uses his bow and arrow to hand drill a hole through the middle of the disk just created. 

Ostrich shell beads are near extinct (perhaps in part because the San Bushman tribe is too) so they are quite a rare find. A strand of beads can go for as much as $50 to $85. Interestedly, there is still a group of Khoisan Bushmen artisans living in the Northern Cape, South Africa, who make them the same way as centuries ago!

Credit: Guy & J-ME Lynn, Africaandbeyond

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76,000 Old First Sign of Beadwork in Africa

These perforated shells discovered at Blombos cave site near Cape Town, South Africa are said to be the first sign of beads in living history. Dating back 76,000 year, not only are they the first sign of modern human behavior, but pay testament to the ingenious use of organic material by the African people in jewelry making! Long live the Artisan! 

 picture: world-archeology.com