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Bele Kwara , Niger : July 13 , 2007 . A Fulani woman holds a calabash cover ( called " bedu " in fulfulde ) in her left hand , which she is in the process of weaving . The calabash cover is used to cover calabashes ( small or large bowls made by removing the insides of a large squash like vegetable ) or to cover water pails or food containers , so that the containers or calabashes can be stacked on top of each other . She weaves the calabash cover from strands of grass that have been soaked in mixtures of clay and ground tree seeds to achieve the different colors . ( The beige color is the natural grass color . ) It can take one to two months to complete a single calabash cover , depending on how much time the woman has . The average cost of a a calabash cover in the market is less than $1 . Covers with different designs are used for different purposes . For example , a woman would cover a water pail with a simple beige calabash cover , with no design or coloring , whereas a colorful calabash cover with a complex design would be saved for a calabash storing milk . ? |
