BANTU WAX
Asafo Flag Tote Bag
$200
$200
Sold out

Description

Introducing our hand-sewn Asafo flag tote bag, a centuries-old craft still practiced today along the sun-drenched Cape Coast of Ghana. Bantu turned not to factory methods, but to three artisans in Ghana who make real Asafo with time-honoured modes of cotton cloth appliqué. Playing off of the customary characters and colours of classic Asafo flags, the blankets and totes feature a range of vibrant scenes and symbols, which will also be replicated across a series of screen-printed long-sleeve cotton tees and leather key chains, as well as be a recurring part of the Bantu universe going forward.

The style first emerged in the 18th-century for military purposes, with banners used as a show of strength and power by the armed forces, called asafo, of the Fante people. Today, they feature more tranquil scenes inspired by proverbs as well as symbols that hold importance to local communities, the flags flying along the Ghanaian shore and being exhibited at festivals or as part of ceremonial dance.

The Asafo collection is also a tribute to Ghana’s flourishing surf community, with sunny scenes that nod to the joy of long days at the beach and the pleasures of breaking waves in West Africa’s storied waters.

Each bag is one of a kind.