The Coriander Home and Gift Story
Every product we sell has a story to tell. And it is important that this story be passed along with the product. The story is what makes each piece interesting. It needs to be retold again and again as the item is shared and admired and passed along. The story brings the items to life and brings awareness to the community that created them. Here are some of the stories behind our Coriander Home and Gift products.

SMOKED ATA GRASS BAGS, BASKETS & PLACEMATS
Ata grass basketwork is a distinct product from Bali. Depending on the complexity, it can take up to a month to weave a basket. The locally grown grass is first split and woven into the basket shape. Then it is boiled for several minutes to tighten the weave. Finally, it is smoked over a fire for several days. The basket must be turned often to give it a glossy, golden finish. Some of the smoke smell remains with the final product.

The baskets are woven in the homes of the people living in the mountains of eastern Bali. Unlike other parts of this beautiful island, it is a difficult place to eke out an existance. Agriculture is difficult because of the steep terrain and dry conditions. Women, often with no other sources of income, weave these baskets while minding children and running the household. The smoking is done in a village called "Tenganan" where coconut husk fires are kept smouldering at every hour of the day.

The Ata grass pieces are beautiful, sturdy and follow classic lines of design. They are created with the intention of being passed along from generation to generation.

CLOVE BOXES & BALLS
Cloves are grown in vast quantities in the Spice Islands of Indonesia. They grow on shrubs and are similar to the buds on evergreen bushes. A familiar spice used in cooking, cloves are also used to make clove cigaretttes - a popular product in South Asia. The cloves that make these items are grown in North Eastern Bali. With great care and precision, the Asis family assembles each box, clove by clove, from their village on the side of Mount Gaung, one of 3 volcanoes on the island.

The boxes are true conversation pieces with timeless appeal. They smell as gorgeous as they look.

WEST AFRICAN BOLGA BASKETS
Our bright and sturdy Bolga Baskets are produced in the village of Bolgatanga, Ghana, West Africa. These superior, tightly woven baskets are the best quality baskets available and are from a self-funded women's co-operative. They fulfill all of our requirements for fair trade practices.

No two baskets are exactly alike. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, designs and colours. Perfect for a picnic, a trip to the market, to hold plants in the garden, magazines, bath towels...or whatever you wish!
The round baskets are normally shipped 'flattened' (the same way they are shipped to us and you save some shipping charges this way). To restore the basket to its full size, simply lightly soak it in water for a minute or two, then form it to the desired shape and allow it to dry.

OL MALO BEADED BOWLS
The Sampiripiri Arts Workshop is located in the north of Kenya, in Samburu Land. The workshop employs more than 100 Samburu women and children who make crafts using both traditional skills and modern design. Our beautiful bowl sets are examples of the products they create. The Samburu people have adorned themselves and their homes with beads for hundreds of years, as symbols for their status. These bowls sustain this tradition. Each bowl has a tag attached with the thumbprint 'signature' of its creator.<

The directors of the workshop are working with the community to alleviate the disease and poverty that burdens the Samburu people. Funds raised through the sale of crafts help support education and much needed health programs.
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