Agaseke Peace Basket by Ange Muhorakeye – Small

$145.00

1 in stock

Handmade Peace Basket by Ange Muhorakeye.  The famous “Agaseke,” or “peace basket,” is a basket with a tall, pyramid-shaped lid; historically, it was a symbol of harvest time and plentiful food.  The centuries-old tradition of basket weaving has taken on a new significance in the wake of the 1994 genocide, hence why it has been aptly nicknamed the “peace basket.”  Following a violent and divisive period in Rwanda’s history during which neighbors and friends were pitted against one another, women were left to pick up the pieces of their broken nation.  The country slowly started to heal and rebuild itself through reconciliation and peace-building efforts. The age-old tradition of basket weaving paved a way for women to work collectively towards a renewed future.  Regardless of ethnic boundaries or past traumas, women came together and formed artisan cooperatives.  Through basket weaving, women were able to reunite, push forth creativity, and develop a way to support themselves and their families financially, all, while preserving an important Rwandese tradition.
Made from woven sisal and sweet grass.

Measures 9″ x 6″

Born in a refugee camp in Burundi and later moving back to her family’s country of origin, Rwanda she continued to learn the art of basket weaving from both her nyogokuru (grandmother) and mama (mother). Five years ago, Ange made the decision to leave Rwanda and move to the Maine in the United States. At the airport in Rwanda, Ange’s mother passed to her a package of grasses with a needle and thread, and sent her off with the parting words of “Do not forget our culture.”

When Ange realized that there was interest in her baskets in the US, she began to think that perhaps she could collaborate with women from rural communities in Rwanda, offering them the ability to support themselves and their children’s education by commissioning them for growing and dying these materials.

“I create baskets made of sisal plants and sweet grass using a needle. I design each piece with gentleness, skill, and love to achieve special and unique creations. I use half of the sales proceeds to support women and their children from my country to sustain themselves and fight poverty.”

1 in stock

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