The Rwanda Path to Peace Collection
Fall 2006
Peace Basket
Natural, “Day Peace”
Black, “Night Peace”
These pagoda-shaped baskets - so unique to Rwanda that it is included on the national seal - have been woven by Rwandan villagers for centuries. Historically given as wedding gifts, the Peace Basket is hand-crafted from papyrus and banana leaf and consists of literally tens of thousands of stitches. The design tells an ancient story of friends walking together, visiting neighboring villages along the way.
Papyrus & Banana leaf
Removable lid
12” high
$75
Mini Peace Baskets
Inspired by a Rwandan tradition of using baskets to carry messages, these mini baskets is perfect for delivering warm wishes for friends and family. Crafted of naturally gathered sisal by the Master Weavers of Gitarama, each of these three miniature baskets has more than 2000 stitches and measures 4" tall and 1" wide and includes a loop on top for hanging.
Sisal
Assorted colors
Removable lids
4” high
$8
Honeycomb Basket
This sturdy basket is finely woven in a honeycomb pattern. For centuries Rwanda was known as “a land of milk and honey.” When given as a gift, this basket symbolizes the wish for a life filled with sweetness, peace and abundance, and is also a reminder for each of us to savor life’s sweetest moments.
Sisal
Removable lid
10”high
$40
.
Creation Basket
(wide top)
This extremely fine elegant basket takes a month to make. Men go into the rain forests to gather bamboo and weave a strong inner frames for the basket. The frames are taken to women in villages who weave the outer basket with the finest imaginable stitches.
To Rwandans, this basket symbolizes the creative partnership between men and women.
Bamboo, papyrus, banana leaf
Removable lid
15” high
$100
Creation Basket
(narrow top)
This extremely fine, elegant basket takes a month to make. Men go into the rain forests to gather bamboo and weave a strong inner frames for the basket. The frames are taken to women in villages who weave the outer basket with the finest imaginable stitches.
To Rwandans, this basket symbolizes the creative partnership between men and women.
Bamboo, papyrus,
banana leaf
Removable lid
15” high
$100
Flight Basket
The elegant Flight basket is made of bamboo gathered in the high jungles of Rwanda where the famous Silverback Gorillas, the “gorillas in the mist” live. The pattern is a classic Rwandan design symbolizing the wing feathers of a bird in flight.
Bamboo
Removable lid
14” high
$60
Bloom Fruit Bowl
Rwanda has an abundance of fruit – passionfruit, avocados, bananas. The red and white pattern celebrates this abundance and the desire for the culture to once again “Bloom” in peaceful and beautiful way.
Sisal & Sweetgrass 12” diameter
$40
Balance Fruit Bowl
The black and white of this bowl symbolizes the need for balance in life: in the past the division of Rwanda into two groups – Hutu and Tutsi – caused discord and violence. Now the two can be woven together to create a balanced whole.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
12” diameter
$40
Vision Trio Fruit Bowls
The vivid colors of these three arresting bowls reference the flowers, earth and trees of Rwanda. Hand-woven of sisal and sweet grass, each bowl symbolizes a distinct view on the world. The large bowl's pattern emphasizes daily life; the paths and organized structures of towns, gardens, and homes. The mid-side bowl depicts home as the center, with the rest of life's activities in a complex and swirling pattern surrounding it. The small bowl evokes the swirl of three components of life -- community, the earth, and spirituality -- in a balanced swirl.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
10”, 12”, 14” diameter
$100
Thousand Hills Bowl
Rwanda is known as "The Land of a Thousand Hills." This hand-woven raffia bowl recalls the country's nickname, where each small hill is home to a different village. The vivid color recalls the striking landscape of the region.
Raffia
14” diameter
$60
Thousand Smiles Basket
The bright white on this basket represents the “thousand smiles” the Rwandan people are sending Americans who have joined their Campaign for Peace and Prosperity. When you give this basket as a gift it comes with a smile, and a wish for a thousand smiles.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
Removable lid
10” high
$45
Hope Threads sewing basket
This basket is made of sweet grass gathered in the plains near the border of Congo. This is an area that where there is still strife. The Hope of this basket is that one day there will be peace everywhere. Sweet grass is a material that is beloved for its clean smell, and general cleanliness – it is non-toxic, so food can be stored in it, and it is believed to bring happiness and sweetness to the house it’s kept in.
Sweetgrass
Removable lid
10” wide x 6” high
$40
Tides Wall Hanging
A distinctive wall-hanging, hand-woven of bamboo gathered in the jungles near Lake Kivu, the highest lake in Africa, on the border between Rwanda and Congo. The gentle tides of the lake are echoed in the soothing design of this eye-catching work of art.
bamboo
Small
12” wide x
33” high
Small $75
Large
15” wide x
40” high
Large $120
Forward Fruit Bowl
The dynamic triangles on this fruit bowl symbolize the powerful act of forward joyously in life. Instead of dwelling on past tragedies, the Rwandans are fully engaged in building a new, peaceful society. When a person moves forward, she may go in many directions. So instead of a straight line, this basket shows the power of moving forward in the many ways that life takes you.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
Assorted colors
12” diameter
$40
Unity / Path to Peace Fruit Bowl
This design symbolizes three clans walking together up and down the hills of Rwanda forming a beautiful pattern of community. There are three clans in Rwanda: the Hutu, the Tutsi and the Twa. In the past, due to the pressures of colonialism, there was been conflict between the clans. Now the three are traveling together in a harmonious way.
This basket sends the message that people of different beliefs and cultures can walk a path of peace together.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
Assorted colors
12” diameter
$40
Friendship basket
This basket shows the path of friendship. Two friends walk up the hillside together. They stop and talk with their neighbors and community, then continue on their way.
The shape of the basket is the famous Rwandan cathedral shape which references the shape of the Kings home.
Sisal & Sweetgrass
Removable lid
10” high
$45
Birdwing Basket
This ancient design depicts bird wings, covering a secret place. Women traditional gathered in yards behind their homes where they talked about private women matters. Men did not enter. The women felt that this sacred space was protected by the wings of a spirit bird, and wove this basket to represent that space”, using the curve of the female form to shape the bottom of the basket.
Bamboo
Removable lid
14” high
$60
Joy Basket
The vivid colors of the modern reinterpretation of the classic “birdwing” baskets, symbolize the joy one feels when doing things in a new and exciting way.
Bamboo
Removable lid
14” high
$60
We are proud to be a partner of
Here Nicole Kidman, UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador holds
a Creation Basket with Noeleen Heyzer, executive director
of UNIFEM.
RPP’s Rwandan Partner, Janet Nkubana with the weavers of Gitarama
Rwanda Path to Peace was founded in July 2005. In less than two years the project has achieved unparalleled success in bringing economic security to the women of Rwanda.
Baskets woven by the women, exported to the US and sold exclusively at Macy’s Department Stores are the number one export out of Rwanda under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
The Spring Baskets will be on line at macys.com/rwanda on April 18. Supplies are extremely limited so shop early!
Unity Fruit Bowl -- Available on April 18 at macys.com -- shows the three peoples of Rwanda -- the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa, walking side by side in unity. Created by Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana and their master weavers.
Cherie Booth Blair visiting RPP weavers
