Craft Articles

Basket weaving is an ancient craft that has been carried out since prehistoric times. Radiocarbon dating performed on some of the oldest preserved baskets from upper Egypt confirmed their age to be at least 10,000 (possibly 12,000) years. This makes them older than the oldest known remains of pottery. There are also several preserved baskets from the Middle East that exceeds 7,000 years in age.

A problem with baskets is however that they are more inclined to decompose and vanish compared to pottery, metalwork and similar. Baskets are usually created from roots, stems and similar natural materials that are easily broken down as they age. A lot of the baskets that were created by ancient craftsmen have therefore vanished and can never be found in archaeological excavations. We do however sometimes find basket imprints on fragments of clay pots, since certain types of clay pots have been traditionally created by packing clay on the walls of a basket and then burning it. 

Baskets can be formed out of a wide range of different unspun vegetable fibres. A popular classification divides handmade baskets into four basic types: coiled baskets, plaited baskets, twined baskets and wicker/splint baskets. Wicker and splint basketry typically use willow, oak, ash, cane, and similar wood types. Reed is also popular.

Coiled baskets are often made out of grasses and rushes. Rushes are a form of grassy plants that grow in wet regions. When you make a traditional coiled basket, you stitch a bundle of rods or strands into a spiralling round or oval form. Over the years, a wide range of different stitch types and embellishments has evolved.

Plaited baskets utilize palm fibres, yucca and similar materials that are wide and ribbon-like. The same material is usually chosen for stakes as well as for weavers. Hardwood, such as ash or maple, is often chosen for the splints. When you create this form of basket, you wove the fibres together at right angles in diagonal or horizontal and vertical orientation.  

Twined baskets are traditionally made out of tree bark and/or roots. At least two flexible weaving elements cross each other as they are pulled through a set of sturdy, radial spokes in the basket. The two flexible elements encircle a sturdy base element, the technique is called pairing. If you instead prefer to use three or more elements, the technique is called waling.

These basic methods can be varied endlessly and each basket maker can develop his or her own embellishments, designs etcetera as well as experiment with different materials and material combinations.