A note from Jen — Two African weaving traditions, completely different in form. Ghana’s wavy baskets stopped me in my tracks: wiggly, sculptural, unlike anything I had followed before. My first shipment arrived shriveled like giant raisins, and I was told to shower with them to bring the shape back. I did! Rwanda’s towering agaseke are the opposite: straight as columns, pattern wrapping every inch, woven by more than 5,000 women of the Gahaya Links cooperatives. Every piece here is one of one.
Ĥu hajim — thank you, from the Wounaan · ❤️ Jen at RFB Woven Art
Handwoven African baskets from Ghana and Rwanda — two distinct traditions, two very different presences. Ghana's Bolgatanga weavers produce sculptural elephant grass forms with wavy silhouettes and hairy textures. Rwanda's Gahaya Links cooperatives weave tall Agaseke peace baskets from sweetgrass and sisal, standing up to 65 inches with bold geometric patterns.
Every piece is made entirely by hand from natural fibers, dyed with plant-based preparations, and sourced directly from the artisans who made it. No two are identical.
Commonly Asked
Two traditions. From Ghana: oversized sculptural baskets woven from elephant grass by the Frafra people of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. Wavy silhouettes, hairy textures, and bold floor pieces designed as statement art. From Rwanda: tightly coiled agaseke baskets woven from hand-dyed sisal over sweetgrass by more than 5,000 women of the Gahaya Links cooperatives across 52 cooperatives. Tall towers, wrapped vessels, and bottle pairs with bold geometric patterns.
Ghana baskets are woven from elephant grass (kinkahe), split by hand, twisted, and dyed with natural plant pigments. Rwanda baskets use hand-dyed sisal fiber coiled over sweetgrass, with an inner bamboo framework on taller pieces. All materials are natural and responsibly harvested in both traditions.
Wavy forms are woven into wave shapes while the grass is still moist. The curves lock in as it dries, no mold, no template. Hairy baskets leave the grass ends untrimmed and proud of the surface, catching light differently through the day. Both are formed entirely by hand.
RFB Woven Art carries agaseke in three scales: Nyanza bottles (small woven vessels), 16-inch wrapped vessels often sold in pairs, and tall floor-sculpture towers ranging from roughly 54 to 65 inches. The tall pieces are built over an inner bamboo framework that gives them their height and structural stability.
Ghana baskets are woven by Frafra weavers in Bolgatanga. I source through African Straw Enterprises, accredited by Fair for Life and For Life. Weavers receive 90% of their earnings upfront, and a portion of every sale is reinvested in their villages, including four boreholes built so far for clean drinking water. Rwanda baskets are woven by women of the Gahaya Links cooperatives, whose work rebuilds villages across 52 cooperatives in Rwanda.
Ghana: a medium piece takes several days. An XL sculptural floor basket takes a week or more, and the final razor-blade trim alone takes a full day. Rwanda: taller towers are built in stages over days to weeks, with the tight coiling and precise geometric patterning adding time at every row.
No. Every piece is one of one. Once a basket sells, it is gone. I never restock because no two baskets are identical.
Dust with a soft, dry cloth and keep out of direct sunlight and moisture to protect the natural dyes. Ghana elephant grass is naturally strong and holds its shape well. The bamboo framework on tall Rwanda pieces makes them structurally stable for years of display.
Orders ship within 1 to 3 business days with free shipping in the continental US. Returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery in original condition.