Botswana's arts and crafts mirror the country's rich cultural diversity which has been brought about by its many tribes. This section is an outline of the country's indigenous arts, crafts, music, food and beverages.

The decorations known as LEKGAPHO on traditional homes are a very impressive art which has been passed through generations. Although the art is slowly dying because many citizens are now building concrete rather than mud houses, a few traditionally decorated houses can still be seen in some rural areas.

Basarwa, whose ancestors are responsible for the rock paintings found throughout Botswana, still display natural artistic skills. Some canvas paintings done by Basarwa artists, who have never been to an art school, show considerable natural talent which can be developed further.

The most famous of all craft products of Botswana is the basket.  Integral to Botswana’s agricultural culture, baskets have been traditionally made and used for thousands of years and are still very much in everyday use.  Closed baskets with lids are used for storing grain, seeds and sometimes, sorghum beer.  Large, open bowl-shaped baskets are used by women for carrying items on their heads and for winnowing grain after it has been pounded.

The main producers of the baskets are the women of the Bayei and Hambukushu tribes in north western Botswana.

The main raw material used in Botswana baskets is the fibre of the Mokola or ‘vegetable ivory’ palm tree and originally, most baskets were undecorated.  Gradually, intricate designs have emerged through the introduction of colour and pattern.

Colour is sourced from natural dyes found in the roots and bark of the Motlhakola and Motsentisila trees (browns) and, more recently, from the leaves of the Indigofers shrub (mauve), and the husks of sorghum, the fungus from which provides a lovely pink shade.

The patterns are either one-off abstracts or symbolic of the local environment and wildlife.  Various basket designs which have been passed from generation to generation are associated with the nation's traditional lifestyle. There is, for example, a zig-zag pattern known as " the bull's urine trail " which describes the patterns caused by the movement of the bull’s sheath whilst it walks and urinates.

Botswana baskets are woven using the coil method.  A thin bundle of palm fibre, grass or a single piece of vine is used for the interior.  A small hole is pierced into the previously woven row with an awl and a strip of palm is then inserted into the hole and wrapped around the core.  Designs are created by weaving strips of dyed palm at appropriate intervals.  Each basket takes up to six weeks to complete.

Botswana baskets are found at:

Mochilero Gallery

2-5-17 Takaban, Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-0004 Japan Tel / Fax: 03-3719-0230 E-mail: mochilero@orange.plala.or.jp

Third World Shop

2-7-10-102, Mita, Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-0062 Japan Tel: 03-3791-2147    Fax: 03-3792-5395 URL: http://www.p-alt.co.jp E-mail: info@p-alt.co.jp / asantecraft@p-alt.co.jp

Botswana baskets are also found at the OVOP shop in Narita Airport

Various tribes have been making baked clay pots for a number of generations. The clay pots were used for cooking, water storage, brewing of traditional beer and for religious ceremonies, amongst others.

Unusual, good quality, hand-woven tapestries, carpets, bed covers, jackets and coats are all made from karakul sheep wool. All utilize locally inspired designs and patterns. Oodi Weavers near Gaborone has gained an international reputation for its fine work.

Botswana tapestries are found at:

Africawaii

1-18-10, Nishiogi-Minami, Suginami –ku Tokyo 167-0053 Japan Tel / Fax: 03-5370-8114 URL: http://africawaii.com E-mail: umeda@umeday.com

The prevalence of a wide variety of trees has facilitated the development of highly impressive wood-craft. Carvings of various animals and birds tend to dominate the craft. However, besides the latter category, many items carved out of wood are used in the home, although many have been replaced by imported mass-produced items.

Amongst the traditional wooden household items are mogopo (wooden bowls), wooden spoons of various sizes, kika (wooden mortar) and motshe (wooden pestle). Communities which stay near the rivers also make wooden mekoro (boats) which are very popular with foreign tourists.

Because of the abundance of the skins of domesticated animals and wildlife, traditional Botswana society developed various ways of processing the skins and making cothing, decorated skin blankets and sleeping mats. The skins are treated with various roots and barks depending on the intended use.

Although clothes made traditionally from leather have been replaced by cloth items, there are still some hunter-gatherer communities amongst the Basarwa (Bushmen) who use leather clothing. Traditional dancing groups also use leather clothing during their performances. Exclusive and fashionable leather handbags, belts and other items are also currently factory-produced to a high standard in Botswana.

The Kalanga tribe which originated from the Wange area of present day Zimbabwe mined iron (the traditional mining method was to make a fire over the iron brick rocks and to shatter the heated iron by pouring water over it).

Kalanga iron-mongers forged iron hoes and traded them with the Tswana-speaking people in exchange for the latter's livestock.

The people of Botswana are very receptive to various forms of traditional, modern, local and foreign music. Botswana's divergent tribal cultures have also enriched the country's music. Various energetic and rhythmic dances are performed with the backing of drums, leg rattles, whistles and hand clapping. Some Botswana traditional groups have performed in international festivals and won international acclaim. Songs that appeal to specific age groups and occasions, such as weddings, initiation ceremonies, harvest, healing, and entertainment, have been passed on through generations.

Other forms of music are performed to the accompaniment of the setinkana (hand piano), the katara (guitar) and segaba (violin). The guitar has found its way into traditional music, and many songs with the 'guitar flavour' have been passed from generation to generation just like segaba music. The music has been sustained by various talented traditional musicians such as Ratsie Setlhako, Ndona Poifo, George Swabi, Ompone "Sheleng" Ositile, Andries Bok, Speech Madimabe, and many others.

Older forms of music known as dikoma are still performed by old men to the accompaniment of various traditional instruments made from the horn of a kudu, called lepatata, and various bones.

As urbanisation and other factors constantly erode the traditional way of life, one of the privileges future generations will miss are fire-side stories told by grandparents. Known as mainane or dinaane, these captivating stories were usually related to grandchildren by their grandmothers in the evenings as the family passed time together after the evening meal.

The stories were related by grandparents who in turn had heard them from their own grandparents and other elderly members of the tribe. Many of the stories were about giants, mythical animals like kgogomodumo (a mythical bird), maruarua (whales), the rabbit and its wisdom, the fox and its cunning tricks, the weak defeating the mighty, and many others.

It is interesting that the Botswana folklore covers, amongst others, animals such as whales, which are not found anywhere in the land-locked country. Could the stories be going back to the times when Botswana had a sea? Were the mythical birds such as kgogomodumo some kind of dinosaurs? Research might reveal an interesting link between the stories and other ages.