Woven Sunburst Mirror
By Comfort Smithson from Fundi Box
29th September, 2020
Even though the temperatures were starting to drop. I thought it would be a lovely way to keep thinking about the lovely warm sunny days as it normally is in Africa.
This month we made a woven sunburst mirror. This project marries the traditional basketry weaving which is common in Africa with the modern sunburst mirror trend. The use of multicolour raffias is similar to the way baskets are woven in Africa today.
Raffias used for weaving are actually got from Raffia palms (Raphia). They are a genus of about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar.
The result is a beautiful wall piece for your home or office that will remind you to always have a ray of sunshine as you look in the mirror. And always believe that you are doing great.:-)
The kit included:
- 20 cm Diameter mirror
- 1 x natural raffia hank
- 1 x black raffia hank
- 1 x coloured raffia (based on your selection)
- 1 box wooden dowels
- 1 x circular placement guide
- 1 x all purpose glue
- 1x small strip twine rope
Our featured gift*** was a soapstone hand-curved dish Notebook from Kenya.
(***This kit is Available to buy now. Please note the handcrafted gift from Africa will differ with all new orders)
FEATURED ARTISANS IN THE SEPTEMBER BOX
Soapstone carvers from Kenya
The stone is named after the Kisii people of the Tabaka Hills in western Kenya—the only place it is found in the region. The soapstone is a metamorphic rock that consists of the mineral talc. Also commonly referred to as steatite, it is known for being soft and easy to work with.
While the stone was primarily used for domestic purposes such as basketry and pottery, it is now used to create handmade carvings for export. The Kisii people originally used soapstone to carve pots to carry fat, which was later massaged into the skin for protection against the sun and other elements.
You can read more about it here.
For many families, these soapstone carvings are their primary source of income as they sell their work in malls, galleries, markets and shops across Kenya.
If you are interested in buying some in the UK or Europe, you can find some more lovely pieces from the Bazaar Africa, who so generously sourced our gifts for this month.
Find them at here.
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