We work with a single weaver to produce these sisal mats and runners: craftsmen like Bernard are increasingly hard to find as this craft is extremely time-consuming and physical. Bernard was taught to weave on a hand-loom as part of a UN-funded project over twenty years ago and weavers with his skillset and experience are extremely hard to come across nowadays.
Bernard weaves each mat and runner from indigenous sisal grass and these JANI mats and runners are also made with the addition of banana tree bark fibres which give the mats their darker hues. Fibres are split, rolled and dyed by hand before being worked through the loom to create a fine, tight and flat weave that feels comfortable underfoot.
Agriculture is the mainstay of Bernard’s family income, as is the case for most of the weavers we team up with. During the dry seasons, as crops fail and livestock suffers, mat weaving brings Bernard the opportunity to earn a reliable and fair wage through flexible work.
Meet Bernard in our film, The Last Loom Weaver
Material: SISAL & BRANDED LEATHER TAB
It is advised to use a non-slip underlay if positioning the mat on a slippery surface (laminated or stripped floorboards and tiles).
Please note, as this is a handmade product, dimensions & colour may vary from those shown in the photographs.
FAIR TRADE AND HANDMADE IN KENYA
