Woven bags from Bali

A woven bag from Bali weighs no more than a basket yet holds a towel, a book and the shopping. They are made from three fibres: agel from gebang palm leaves, stronger and more matte than raffia; raffia itself; and water hyacinth with its coarser weave.

A loose weave lets light through and weighs less; a tight one looks like canvas and holds its shape better. Bags with leather straps darken with every summer, which is normal for undyed leather. The fibres dislike rain: dry a wet bag flat in the shade, never on a radiator.