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My sister brought me Zulu telephone wire baskets from South Africa, and I was mesmerized by the intense colors. Zulu weavers traditionally used palm fibers with subtle colors for vessels to store food and beer. According to Anitra Nettleton, men who migrated to the cities as night watchmen began using telephone wire to weave in brighter colors. Now the Fair Trade cooperatives that create these baskets buy plastic coated wire directly from suppliers, who have added more colors.
from the suppliers meaning from the makers of the wire? or from the weavers?
My understanding is that the telephone wire supply companies have added colors because of the demand from weavers.