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handbag

  • Sale! Moroccan Camel Leather BagMoroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Original price was: $195.00.Current price is: $155.00.

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    – This unique Handbag is made of high-grade

    leather from one of the oldest working tanneries in the world.

    Comes with a shoulder carry strap.

    Imperfections can be found in all our unique handcrafted items.

    Dimensions

    (L) 35.5cm (W) 37cm (D) 9cm. Base to handle 77cm

    Add to my cartDone
  • Sale! Moroccan Camel Leather BagMoroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Original price was: $195.00.Current price is: $155.00.

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    – This unique Handbag is made of high-grade

    leather from one of the oldest working tanneries in the world.

    Comes with a shoulder carry strap.

    Imperfections can be found in all our unique handcrafted items.

    Dimensions

    (L) 36cm (W) 38cm (D) 9cm. Base to handle 80cm

    Add to my cartDone
  • Sale! Moroccan Camel Leather BagMoroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    Original price was: $195.00.Current price is: $155.00.

    Moroccan Camel Leather Bag

    – This unique Handbag is made of high-grade

    leather from one of the oldest working tanneries in the world.

    Comes with a shoulder carry strap.

    Imperfections can be found in all our unique handcrafted items.

    Dimensions

    (L) 36cm (W) 38cm (D) 11cm. Base to handle 74cm

    Add to my cartDone
  • Sale! Moroccan Leather Handcrafted HandbagMoroccan Leather Handcrafted Handbag

    Moroccan Leather Handcrafted Handbag

    Original price was: $395.00.Current price is: $295.00.

    Moroccan Leather Handcrafted Handbag

    – This unique Handbag is made of high-grade

    soft leather from one of the oldest working tanneries in the world.

    Comes with a shoulder carry strap

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $195.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African bag with beautiful design,

    crafted using ancient skills handed down through generations.

    Saddlebag design opens to reveal a pouch either side.

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $195.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African bag with beautiful design,

    crafted using ancient skills handed down through generations.

    Saddlebag design opens to reveal a pouch either side.

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $179.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African bag with beautiful design,

    crafted using ancient skills handed down through generations.

    Saddlebag design opens to reveal a pouch either side.

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Our founder, Sian, recently travelled to Ghana in West Africa. During her time there she visited several talented artisans including the kente weavers in the Ashanti Region. Kente cloth originates from West Africa whereas African print fabric (commonly known as ‘ankara’ in West Africa and ‘kitenge’ in East Africa) was first produced in Indonesia. HISTORY OF KENTE Kente is no ordinary cloth and is easily recognisable worldwide. The method of producing kente, called strip weaving, has existed in West Africa since the 11th century. In 1697, the King of the Ashanti Kingdom, Osei Tutu, selected several weavers from nearby towns and villages to travel to neighbouring Ivory Coast to become experts in the complex art form. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II King Ashanti Kingdom wearing kente in Ghana Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current King of the Ashanti Kingdom wearing kente Once they returned to Ghana, they started to weave the beautiful and colourful cloth exclusively for the King because kente was originally made and worn only by the royals. The weavers started to create their own unique designs, which are now well known worldwide as ‘Ashanti kente’. The Ewe is another ethnic group who also weave kente in Ghana. Today, the Ashanti royals still wear the sacred cloth usually draped across the shoulders, including traditional black and white designs, for prestigious occasions including: ceremonies, worship, outings, marriages and funerals. A weaver in Ghana West Africa using a handloom to create a traditional black and white kente cloth design A weaver creating a traditional black and white kente design on a handloom in Ghana MODERN AFRICAN PRINT CLOTHING Today, the cloth can be purchased and worn by local people and kente outfits are very popular to wear at weddings and special occasions. Akans, from the Ashanti kingdom, traditionally wear clothes made from kente cloth. It is a source of pride for many Ghanaians and the Diaspora. Original kente is a status symbol of wealth and identity as it is a luxurious and expensive fabric. Every new kente design is registered and copyrighted for protection. However, ankara fabric manufacturers in Ghana and China, for example, are replicating the kente designs. African wax print fabric is cheaper and more affordable than original kente cloth as they are printed by machine. This is likely to have contributed to the worldwide popularity of ‘kente’ as it is more readily available. It has also encouraged young, aspiring fashion designers to experiment with the printed fabric by making modern African print clothing. As well as Ghanaian clothing fashion, kente is also used to make homewear such as blankets, pillowcases and place mats. Raw Materials & Preparation The type of raw materials used for weaving include: Cotton (grown in the north of Ghana) Silk (very expensive and was the traditional thread used) Rayon (synthetic fibre) Metallic thread (adds shine to cloth) Usually, the threads are hand spun by villagers where the kente is made as it is cheaper than buying a ready spun cone. The traditional hand spinning method is demonstrated in this short video clip. The dye used to change the thread colour can be made locally by grinding the bark or leaves of trees. Local dyes are preferred as the colours do not fade but most dyes are imported from China or Japan. Coloured threads and shuttles used for kente weaving in Ghana West Africa Different coloured threads and two shuttles used for weaving METHOD OF WEAVING KENTE Kente cloth is purely hand woven; no machinery is used. Weavers sit inside a wooden handloom to create long, narrow interwoven strips that are later sewn together by a tailor to make the traditional kente cloths. It can take a long time to set-up a new design on a handloom, which requires a lot of experience. Weavers use both their hands and feet to operate the loom. The warp is placed quite far away from the loom under heavy stones to keep it taut, which gradually moves closer to the loom the more cloth that is produced. Warp thread placed under heavy stones during kente weaving production using a handloom in Ghana West Africa The warp placed under heavy stones in front of the handloom A kente weaver in Ghana West Africa controlling a handloom using their feet A weaver using their feet to control the handloom The heddles (cords), separate the warp threads so the weft can be passed or thrown through using a shuttle. The warp is then beaten in evenly using the ‘beater’ to make it more compact. A kente weaver in Ghana West Africa using a shuttle to pass the weft thread through warp using a handloom A weaver using a shuttle to pass the weft through the warp The more complicated the design the more expensive it is to purchase. There are 3 kinds of weaving known locally in this village as simple, double and triple. The latter being the most complicated as the designs can take 4-5 hours for an experienced weaver to make just one strip! Or if you prefer you can draw your own design and they can replicate it for you. When President Obama visited they made a special design for him in his honor. If a local person does a good deed in their community they can also name a new design after them. Traditional kente cloth handwoven in Ghana West Africa

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone
  • Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    $189.00

    Hausa leather Shoulder Bag

    – Handcrafted pure leather West African tooled bag,

    crafted using skills that have been handed down through generations.

    Dimensions

    30 cm Height

    9 cm Depth

    25 cm Wide

    (Excluding adjustable shoulder strap)

     

    Add to my cartDone