A vintage Hausa bowl from Northern Nigeria, hand-woven from grass and bound at the rim in deep mahogany leather. The exterior is densely covered in cowrie shells — once used as currency across Africa and long held as symbols of prosperity — while the interior shows a geometric weave in earthy greens and reds.
Bowls like this were prestige pieces in Hausa households, brought out for ceremony and to mark standing, and years of use have left a soft patina. Shallow and decorative, it makes a characterful catch-all for keys or small treasures, or a curiosity piece on a shelf, table or stack of books.
