A ‘dying art’ weaves its way to Lakeport farmers market
LAKEPORT >> The Lakeport farmers market has been host to vendor Carolyne Adisa for so many years that she now has a following for her handwoven baskets. “Not only for the look of them,” said Marsha Williams a regular market-goer, “but for the quality. I’ve bought several and gave my daughter a large basket for her laundry and she loves it. She’s sent photos of it to friends who now own their own Adisa baskets.”
Adisa, a shy, quiet spoken woman, originally from the western part of Kenya, close to Lake Victoria, said, “Basket making is a cultural way of life. The baskets are used to transport food from the market, used to store food, grains and for other household uses.”
A weekly vendor at the Lakeport farmers market, now located at the fairgrounds, Adisa said, “We source the materials from all over, at different stages, for different functions. The stages of basket making are all done by different people; preparing the grasses, people who dye, and those who weave.”
When asked if she is a master weaver, Adisa said, “No, the master weavers were our grandparents; the elders.
Weaving is an art form passed down from generation to generation, she said. “During the year, we have many things to do on the farm in Kenya, not just weaving. Basket weaving usually takes place in the dry season when we’re not growing crops. During planting season we are busy gathering reeds from the river, we cut grasses and dry them to get baskets ready for the harvest season, for storage of the crops.”
“Little kids are able to see what is happening and they learn to weave small baskets. When they get married, they already have the thread of knowledge. I did not take weaving as a career, I went to school for general education, in Kenya, but learned basket weaving from my grandmother. Weaving is a dying art. To learn to make a basket takes a long time and the art is not very attractive to the current generation. People have moved to the cities and the cultural part of weaving is kind of in the background.”
Adisa said she makes handbags, made from sisal (Agave sisalana; a fiercelooking plant which is exceptionally durable and grows well in Kenya according to https:// www. britannica.com.) It takes about 10 days to complete one of the handbags she makes, with life happening between weaving; resting, caring for the family, cooking and cleaning. She said that’s how baskets are made in Kenya; not full-time, but fit into daily life.
Christina Law and her daughter Riley Horst, 7, stopped at the Pickle Man’s booth to purchase a jar of pickled vegetables, which she put into a basket that Law had bought from Adisa in 2017. “It’s really cool,” she said about the basket. “I love it. I use it while shopping and for harvesting vegetables.”
Ma r k e t - g o e r Sarah Renkes, from Spring Valley, stopped to chat with Adisa. Her large Adisa basket was laden with swiss chard, leeks and other vegetables. She explained that the walk to her house was along a dusty road, which was why she she used plastic bags for the individual vegetables rather than just putting them loose in the basket. “To keep the dust out.”
Va l Ni xon, from Kelseyville, greets Adisa, both who are masked. Adisa said Nixon is one of her best customers.
“I buy at least one a week,” said Nixon, looking at a small, round basket. “At my house, I probably have about 10 baskets. I put them in rooms for color. I have some big ones to carry while shopping and right now I’m stocking up on baskets for Christmas, to give away for gifts.”
Nixon looked around the booth of baskets. “I love the quality, I love the variety, there’s lots of colors, and I love the vendor,” she said pointing to Adisa. “It doesn’t get better than that.”
The Lakeport farmers market runs year round at Lake County Fairground off Martin Street every Saturday, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.