Notes

Kelefi Zimona was born in Thale in 1944 but now lives in Gomare. Zimona knows how to make open and closed baskets and trays. She is always weaving when the other work around her compound is finished. She is a master weaver and a teacher of basket making, having first learned to weave in 1985 in classes, run by Beth Terry and sponsored by Botswanacraft, IVS Inc. and the Botswana Government through the Integrated Field Services of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Zimona says, ‘Because of these courses, I now know how to weave beautifully’. Zimona is an active member of the Ngwao Boswa basket group in Gomare, which was started in 1986. Several of her baskets have been exhibited in Gaborone for the annual basket competitions.

This ‘modern’ shape, with a flat bottom, was introduced by Beth Terry. The start of the basket uses the checkerwork weave where the warp and the weft elements are interwoven at an angle, similar to braiding. The body of the basket is made by coiling over two rows, alternating rows for each stitch. The bark of Berchemia discolor changes the natural cream-coloured palm leaves to red-brown, while the dark-brown colour from the bark of Euclea divinorum tree roots turns the palm leaves dark brown. The purple/mauve colour is achieved when the leaves of the palm tree and the Indigofera tinctoria plant are simmmered together.

- Dr Elizabeth Terry

Provenance

Dr Elizabeth Terry Collection.