Angeline Bonisiwe Masuku

South Africa

Year(s) attended: 2007, 2010, 2011

Casa Nova

Basket Weaving

The Ilala palm baskets, also known as Amaquthu baskets, woven by Angeline Bonisiwe Masuku of South Africa represent an intricate process that begins with the collection of ilala palms and special grasses, augmented by leaf fibers extracted from a variety of tree roots found in the Kwa-Hlabisa Mpembeni Reserve.

Angeline begins her work with a foundation knot onto which she builds rows of coils that are then stitched onto the foundation knot. This important part of the process is manipulated into a hollow cone shape base that will later keep the basket from folding in on itself.

Since the baskets are utilitarian, each also has a top. Traditionally they were used for food storage and the making of sorghum beer for celebrations.

Angeline was born in a village on the outskirts of KwaZulu-Natal, a coastal region that borders the Indian Ocean. She was taught traditional basket making by her aunt, Caulina Gcwensa.

Since she began creating her own designs in 1984, Angeline has been able to help her family as well as other women in the village by teaching them her traditional skills.