Here at Adinkra Designs, we bring you genuine hand crafted arts from Africa. Our products are made by skilful hands that know the meaning of hard work. Our products are not made by machines, mass-produced and cut to precision. Here you will see that no two products are ever truly the same.

There will be imperfections, but we accept this as part of the individual beauty and character of the item. You are not just buying an item made in Africa, you are taking home a piece of Africa and your product has journeyed far! Enjoy it’s beauty for all it’s flaws and be proud to know your purchase has made an impact on someone’s life. Read more about what makes the individual beauty of a Bolga basket.

Our genuine Bolga baskets are exclusively woven by the indigenous Frafra people of Bolgatanga (known as Bolga) in Northern Ghana. For many generations, weaving has been a traditional skill. The infertile soil and harsh climate conditions in the area is not ideal for agricultural based farming so the people of Bolga have found alternate means of making a living through leather crafts, weaving and pottery. Beware of imitation Bolga Baskets, you can read more about this on our blog.

There is some plant life that will grow in abundance in this region and that is Elephant grass! This robust plant is harvested seasonally and prepared to produce a strong straw fibre that is dyed using traditional plant and non-toxic fabric dyes to produce the beautiful array of vibrant colours that the Bolga baskets are so famously renown for.

All of our Bolga baskets are double woven to produce strong, flexible and durable products that will last a lifetime to be passed on to generations to come. 

It can take several days for a weaver to complete a medium sized basket – the popular Baby Moses Baskets can take up to 6 days to complete. There is a lot of skill, patience and love poured into each and every basket from Bolga! 

Once the weaving is complete, any remaining bits of straw sticking out are carefully trimmed and the basket is then passed onto a leather worker to complete the handles. The handles are made from various materials but mostly the leather is made from goats. 

Vegan options are available – these are baskets without the leather applied, however we do find that over time the straw handle may loosen and unravel without a material covering to protect it. 

All of our Bolga baskets are fumigated in line with strict Australian quarantine regulations.  

If you have any questions about our African basket range, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

For Bolga basket wholesale enquiries, please contact us here.