If you’re looking for some home-grown design-spiration, then look no further than the @Ithunga_africa Instagram account – the public portal to the incredible basket makers of rural KwaZulu-Natal, the ancestral homeland of basket-weaving traditions in South Africa.
You’ll be amazed at the diversity of colours, patterns, emblems and symbols that the weaves contain once you see them all lined up next to one another.
Also amazing is that Ithunga Africa has a gallery in Midtown, New York.
Some of the elaborate works take months to create – truly sculptural creations that rarely get the recognition they deserve from local audiences and buyers.
Many of the traditions remain undocumented, but the account tries to correct that with enlightening captions to explain the beautifully shot images.
“Traditional Zulu baskets have a size and design which often reflect the recipient’s social status.”
One particularly beautiful image reads: “A triangular motif is a male symbol. A diamond motif is a female symbol. A continuous band of zigzag pattern is called the Spears Of Shaka, named after the famous Zulu king, Shaka Zulu.”
Arguably the most important aspect of the Instagram account is to put a face and a name to these typically anonymous designers who have maintained a skill since the colonial era.
The work of master crafter Thulaleni, in particular, is continuously evolving into more complex forms, gradually challenging the idea of the basket itself.
View at ithungaafrica.com, and buy via info@ithungaafrica.com, but be warned: Items are not for the faint of finance!