When Bridget Meyer moved to Minnesota from her native Zambia ten years ago, two memories were forever imprinted on her mind: the warm weather and her rich cultural history. She decided to indulge the latter by focusing her efforts on the 400-year old craft of wedding baskets hand-woven by tribal women. "I started out with $500 and a plane ticket back to Zambia," says Meyer, who launched an import business by selling the baskets wholesale from her Minnesota bedroom.

By 1993, her husband had joined the venture -- named Toka, after Meyer's native tribe -- and together they enlisted a workforce of more than 20 weavers in the Kalabo township. Both utilitarian and celebratory, the baskets are given to brides as wedding gifts.

Made from the supple roots of the makenge bush and stained red and black (using dyes from leaves and fruit), the baskets take up to two months to complete. Doubling as pieces of art, they also symbolize universal motifs about marriage, family, and love: one with raised coils tells of the ebb and flow of marital life; another with concentric circles represents the family. Old baskets are also highly prized, with beautiful asymetrical patches to repair worn areas.

Such messages aren't lost on Meyer, whose relatives and friends comprise the majority of Toka's 100 employees. "Now when I go back," she says, "it's a huge celebration."

Respect • Encourage • Sustain

Old Wedding Baskets

Wedding baskets are one of the most useful items that African women own. They are used to collect grain and vegetables from the field. They are filled with cassava roots and then set on the roof of the house to allow the roots to dry in the sun. They are used to store seeds. They are used to winnow or separate out impurities from flour. Often the baskets are also used to serve food.

Eventually these heavily used baskets begin to show signs of wear. Because each basket takes a month or more to weave, women often choose to repair a favorite basket. They will use patches of banana leaf or corn husk to cover the broken area and then the patch is woven into place using the same makenge roots from which the basket was originally made. Once patched, the basket may be used for many more years.

It's not unusual to find adult women using baskets older than they are. Because they last so long despite heavy use, the baskets obtain a rich brown patina. These well-loved baskets make wonderful modern gifts for weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions.

Call or email Bella Cosa for information on sizes and styles. Prices start at $125 for new baskets and $175 for old baskets, with no two alike!