Basket weaving

Basket Weaving

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Basket weaving

Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of weaving

Weaving

Weaving is the textile arts in which two distinct sets of yarn, called the Warp and the filling or weft , are interlaced with each other to form a textile....
unspun vegetable

Vegetable

The term "vegetable" generally means the Eating parts of plants. The definition of the word is traditional rather than scientific, however, and therefore the usage of the word is somewhat arbitrary and subjective, as it is determined by individual cultural customs of food selection and food preparation....
fiber

Fiber

Fiber or fibre is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of yarn. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissue s together....
s into a basket

Basket

A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers, often made of willow. . The top is either left open or the basket may be fitted with a lid....
or other similar form.

Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials—anything that will bend and form a shape. Examples include pine

Pine

Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species....
straw, animal hair, hide

Hides

Hides are skins obtained from animals for human use. Examples of animal hide sources are deer and cattle typically used for producing leather, alligator skins, snake skins for shoes and fashion accessories and wild cats, minks and bears, whose skins are primarily sought for their fur....
, grasses

Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
, thread, and wood

Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
.

People who weave baskets are called basketmakers.

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Encyclopedia

Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of weaving

Weaving

Weaving is the textile arts in which two distinct sets of yarn, called the Warp and the filling or weft , are interlaced with each other to form a textile....
unspun vegetable

Vegetable

Fiber

Basket

Pine

Hides

Grass

Wood

Profession

"A profession is a vocation founded upon specialised educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain"....
or a hobby

Hobby

A hobby is a leisure recreational pursuit....
, and their work may be considered a craft

Craft

A craft is a skill, especially involving practical The Arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art.The terms is often used as part of a longer word ....
or an art

Art

Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature....
.

The aboriginal tribes are famous for their coloured basket-weaving techniques. To achieve a multi-coloured effect they first dye

Dye

A dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an Chemical affinity to the Wiktionary:substrate to which it is being applied....
the twine

Twine

Twine is a strong thread or string composed of two or more smaller strands or yarns twisted together. More generally, the term can be applied to any thin cord....
and then weave the twines together in the most elaborate fashion possible. These baskets may then be traded for goods but may also be used for religious

Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
ceremonies.

Basketry types

Erdly classifies basketry into four types:

"Coiled" basketry, using grass
Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
es and rushes
Juncaceae

The Juncaceae, the rush family, is a rather small monocotyledon flowering plant family. There are 8 genus and about 400 species. Many of these slow-growing plants superficially resemble Poaceae, though are herbs or Shrub, growing on infertile soils....
"Plaiting" basketry, using materials that are wide and ribbon
Ribbon

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying....
-like, such as palm
Palm

Palm usually refers to the central region of the front of the hand. It may also refer to"...
s, yucca
Yucca

The yuccas comprise the genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennial plants, shrubs, and trees in the agave family Agavaceae, notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped Leaf and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers....
or New Zealand flax
New Zealand flax

New Zealand flax describes common New Zealand perennial plants Phormium tenax and Phormium cookianum, known by the Maori language names harakeke and wharariki respectively....
"Twining" basketry, using materials from root
Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
s and tree bark
BARK

BARK was an early Electromechanics. BARK was built using standard phone relays, implementing a 32-bit binary machine and could perform addition in 150 ms and multiplication in 250 ms....
. Twining actually refers to a weaving technique where two or more flexible weaving elements ("weavers") cross each other as they weave through the stiffer radial spokes.
"Wicker" and "Splint" basketry, using reed
Phragmites

Phragmites australis, the common reed, is a large perennial plant Poaceae found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world....
, cane
Cane

A cane is a long, straight wooden stick, generally of bamboo, or some similar plant, mainly used as a support, such as a walking stick, or as an instrument of corporal punishment....
, willow
Willow

Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
, oak
Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus , which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus....
, and ash
Ash tree

Fraxinus is a genus of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The leaf are opposite , and mostly pinnately-compound, simple in a few species....

The type of baskets that reed is used for are most often referred to as “wicker” baskets, though another popular type of weaving known as “twining” is also a technique used in most wicker baskets.

Popular styles of wicker baskets are vast, but some of the more notable styles are Nantucket Baskets and Williamsburg

Williamsburg

Williamsburg is the name of several places in the United States of America:*Williamsburg, Colorado*Williamsburg, Florida*Williamsburg, Indiana...
Baskets. Nantucket Baskets are oversized and bulky while Williamsburg Baskets can be any size, so long as the two sides of the basket bow out slightly and get larger as it is weaved up.

Materials used in basketry

Weaving with rattan

Rattan

Rattan , is the name for the roughly 600 species of Arecaceae in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia....
core (also known as reed) is one of the more popular techniques being practiced because it is easily available. It is pliable and when woven correctly, it is very sturdy. Also, while traditional materials like oak, hickory

Hickory

Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as Hickory. The genus includes 17?19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaf and large nut ....
, and willow might be hard to come by, reed is plentiful and can be cut into any size or shape that might be needed for a pattern. This includes flat reed, which is used for most square baskets; oval

Oval

An oval is any curve resembling an egg or an ellipse but may also refer to:* A sporting arena of oval shape** a cricket field** an Australian rules football field...
reed which is used for many round baskets; and round reed which is used to twine. And reed can also be dyed easily to look like oak or hickory.

The basket weaving process

The parts of a basket are the base, the side walls, and the rim. A basket may also have a lid, handle, or embellishments.

The 'static' pieces of the work are laid down first. In a round basket they are referred to as 'spokes'; in other shapes they are called 'stakes' or 'staves'. Then the 'weavers' are used to fill in the sides of a basket.

A wide variety of patterns can be made by changing the size, color, or by placement of a certain style of weave.

History

While basket weaving is one of the widest spread crafts in the history of any human civilization

Civilization

A civilization is a society or culture group normally defined as a complex society characterized by the practice of agriculture and settlement in towns and city....
, it is hard to say just how old the craft is because natural materials like wood, grass, and animal remains decay naturally and constantly. So without proper preservation (which was not available two hundred years ago, much less two thousand years ago) much of the history of basket making has been lost and is simply speculated upon.

The oldest known baskets have been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, earlier than any established dates for archeological finds of pottery

Pottery

Pottery is the ceramic ware made by potters. Major types of pottery include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The places where such wares are made are called potteries....
, and were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt

Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
. Other baskets have been discovered in the Middle East

Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
that are up to 7,000 years old. However, baskets seldom survive, as they are made from perishable materials. The most common evidence of a knowledge of basketry is an imprint of the weave on fragments of clay

Clay

Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried and/or fired....
pots, formed by packing clay on the walls of the basket and firing

Kiln

Kilns are thermally insulated chambers, or ovens, in which controlled temperature regimes are produced. They are used to harden, burn or dry materials....
.

During the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
, baskets were used in factories

Factory

A factory or manufacturing plant is an industry building where workers manufacturing Good or supervise machines Process Manufacturing one product into another....
, and for packing and deliveries. Wicker

Wicker

Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
furniture became fashionable in Victorian

Victorian era

The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the period of Victoria of the United Kingdom reign from June 1837 to January 1901....
society. During the world wars, thousands of baskets were used for transporting messenger pigeons

War pigeon

Pigeons have played an important role in wars for a long time.They were often used as military messengers, thanks to their homing ability, speed and altitude....
. There were also observational balloon baskets, baskets for shell cases

Ammunition

Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery....
and airborne pannier baskets used for dropping supplies of ammunition and food to the troops

Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
.

The technique of weaving has been passed along, re-discovered, and expanded upon throughout the years, and is still being expanded upon today. Baskets were at one time used simply for storage and transportation of goods. Decoration was an afterthought at best. Today, functional baskets are still in use, but many are made for more decorative purposes. Patterns and “how to” books are now available for anyone to learn the craft.

Native American basket weaving

Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
traditionally make their baskets from the materials available locally. In New England

New England

New England is a region of the United States located in the northeastern corner of the country, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and New York State, and consisting of the modern U.S....
they weave baskets from Swamp Ash. The wood is peeled off a felled log

Logging

Logging is the process in which certain trees are cut down for forest management and timber....
in strips, following the growth rings of the tree. Maine

Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
and Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The St. Lawrence River Great Lakes are a chain of fresh water lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada ? United States border. Consisting of Lakes Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth....
tribes use black ash

Fraxinus nigra

Fraxinus nigra is a species of Fraxinus native to much of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from western Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Illinois and northern Virginia....
splints. They also weave baskets from Sweet grass

Sweet grass

Sweet grass , also known as sweetgrass, holy grass , buffalo grass, vanilla grass, manna grass, seneca grass, Mary's grass, zebrovka, or bison grass, is an aromatic herb which grows in northern Eurasia and North America....
, as do Canadian

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
tribes. Northwestern tribes use spruce root, cedar bark, and swampgrass. Southeastern tribes, such as the Cherokee

Cherokee

The Cherokee are a Native Americans in the United States people orginally from the Southeastern United States . They are linguistically connected to speakers of the Iroquoian language....
, Choctaw

Choctaw

The Choctaw are a Native Americans in the United States people originally from the Southeastern United States . They are of the Muskogean languages group....
, and Chitimacha

Chitimacha

The Chitimacha are a Native Americans in the United States group that lives in the United States state of Louisiana, mainly in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana....
, traditionally use split river cane

Arundinaria

Arundinaria, commonly known as the canes, is the sole temperate genus of bamboo native to the New World . The genus is endemic to the eastern United States from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Ohio and Texas....
for basketry. Southwestern and Californian

Californian

Californian can mean:* A person from the U.S. state of California, see List of people from California* An adjective describing something as of or from California...
tribes coil baskets from sumac

Sumac

Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. The dried berries of some species are ground to produce a tangy purple spice....
, yucca

Yucca

The yuccas comprise the genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennial plants, shrubs, and trees in the agave family Agavaceae, notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped Leaf and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers....
, willow

Willow

Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
, and basket rush

Juncus textilis

Juncus textilis is a species of Juncus known by the common name basket rush. It is Endemism to California, where it grows along the coast and in the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of the state....
. In northwestern Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, the Seri people continue to "sew" baskets using splints of the limberbush plant, Jatropha cuneata
Jatropha

Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees , from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from , hence the common name physic nut....
. Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctica region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland....
and Subarctic

Subarctic

The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada and Siberia, the north of Scandinavia, northern Mongolia and the Chinese province of Heilongjiang....
tribes use baleen

Baleen

Baleen or whalebone is the means by which baleen whales feed. These whales do not have teeth, but instead have rows of baleen plates in the upper jaw – flat, flexible plates with frayed edges, arranged in two Parallel rows, looking like combs of thick hair....
, a substance derived from whale

Whale

Whales are marine mammals of order Cetacea which are neither dolphinsmembers, in other words, of the families Oceanic dolphin or River dolphinnor porpoises....
jaws, and incorporate walrus ivory

Walrus ivory

Walrus tusk ivory comes from two modified upper canines. The tusks of a Pacific walrus may attain a length of one meter. Walrus teeth are also commercially carved and traded....
and whale bone in basketry. Birchbark is used throughout the Subarctic

Subarctic

Dene

The Dene are an Aboriginal peoples of Canada group of First Nations who live in the northern Boreal Forest of Canada and Arctic regions of Canada....
, to Ojibwa

Ojibwa

The Ojibwa or Chippewa is the largest group of Native Americans in the United States-First Nations north of Mexico, including M?tis people ....
to Mi'kmaq

Mi'kmaq

The M?kmaq , traditionally spelled Micmac in English, but Mi?kmaq by the M?kmaq of Nova Scotia, Miigmaq by the M?kmaq of New Brunswick, Mi?gmaq by the Listuguj Council in Quebec, or M?gmaq in some native literature, are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provin...
. Birchbark baskets are often embellished with dyed porcupine

Porcupine

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp Spine , or quills, that defend them from predators. They are endemic in both the Old World and the New World....
quills.

External links

TheNantucketBasket.com
Google Books
Google Books

Basket weaving

Basketry types

Materials used in basketry

The basket weaving process

History

Native American basket weaving

See also

External links