NEW! Ilala baskets are now in stock

Irara baskets, sold exclusively at the online store, are now in stock. Irara Basket is a wonderful and convenient item that can be displayed like art or used to store small items.

This time, we will introduce the background behind the creation of the Irara Basket and the thoughts of its creators.

Functional baskets born in Zambia

Irara baskets are in high demand around the world as decorative goods. This basket is actually a basket used by women in a small village in Zambia to carry their produce on their heads. It is still used for agricultural purposes, such as transporting grains such as corn and sorting them.

So, how did the baskets used in small African villages come to attract attention from around the world?

Tonga Craft Centre

Tonga, located in the southern part of Zambia, was originally famous around the world for its advanced basketball skills. Artists and crafters around the world are influenced by its techniques.

In the 1980s, the Danish government established the Tonga Crafts Center in the village of Binga, Zimbabwe. This craft center was created to pass on traditional crafts (baskets, drums, carvings, pottery, beadwork) to the future, and to protect women's human rights. Beautifully handcrafted and with unique patterns that you will never forget once you see them, these baskets are now loved all over the world and are exported in the thousands every year.

Strong and confident women

Since Tonga has a climate that is prone to drought and poverty, the creation of baskets and other handicrafts supports the human rights, livelihoods, and families of Tongan women.

This basket embodies the feelings of the African women who made it, ``the joy of being a woman and working.'' When you pick up a basket, you are amazed by their creativity and the precise and dense weaving techniques that make it look like it was made by machine.

It is a warm product that fits easily into modern, European, and traditional Japanese lifestyles. Please enjoy it in various ways such as display or accessory case.