Overview

Bolga baskets-- handwoven in a rural region of northern Ghana-- are sold in markets across Europe, North America, and Japan. How did a locally made craft from an African village become a globally traded commodity? Village of Basketry traces the development of the Bolga basket industry from a local craft to an export-oriented industry and livelihood. Based on detailed ethnographic fieldwork in the Bolgatanga region, it examines changes in production techniques, raw material supply, and trading practices, as well as the roles played by artisans, traders, and intermediaries. At the same time, the book explores how basket makers negotiate between the demands of market economies and local ways of working and living. By focusing on everyday practices of making, selling, and mediating exchange, it reveals how a local society is shaped through its connections with the wider world.

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9781920850616

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Author Information

Haruka Ushiku is an associate professor at Hokkai-Gakuen University, Japan. She received her Ph.D. in Area Studies from the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies at Kyoto University.

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