Weaving the finishing pass on a raffia mat

Nafana mat weaver (deŋglɛ tinfun) Alexander Owusu demonstrates how he weaves the finishing pass on a narrow raffia mat (dɛŋglɛ) that he has woven for demonstration purposes. He builds the mat's vertical selvage and creates a corner, after which he weaves the horizontal selvage while adding rows using a "5-star" technique in which weft strands are placed over five warp strands wrapped on his forefinger. As he reaches the end of the pass, he reduces the number of warp strands and builds the vertical selvage, completing the mat by tying off its last strands to create a corner. He offers occasional commentary in Nafaanra. Description reference: Tables 6 & 7 in "Making of a Raffia Palm Mat (Dɛŋglɛ), Sabiye, Banda District, Bono Region, Ghana." Sabiye, Banda District, Ghana.