Banana fiber is a beautiful and sustainable material that has a tortoise shell finish. * Tray Measures approximately: 11.5 x 11.5 x 2 inches The Story Behind the Art: Women in the villages in Kenya, near Kitui, are educated and trained on the handmade craft of recycling the dried fiber of banana plants, which would normally be discarded. They use their talents to transform the banana fiber into new, eco-friendly art forms. First, the banana fiber is dried, and then a light varnish is applied. The varnish on the banana fiber, with its many shades of brown, resembles textured tortoise shell. Once the process is complete, the artisans cut the fiber into strips to make one-of-a-kind goods.