History

     Baskets are the children of the gods and the basis of our earth, according to the ancient  Mesopotamians. They believe that the world began when a wicker raft was placed on the  oceans and soil was spread on the raft to make the landmasses. Ancient Egyptian bakers  used baskets to hold baked loaves of bread. The single, most famous basket may well  have been the basket made of bulrushes and mud in which the baby Moses was floated to  safety. All ancient civilizations produced baskets; the Romans cultivated willow for their  baskets, and the Japanese and Chinese also counted basketry among their many handicrafts with ancient origins.

     The craft of basketry gave rise to pottery making because baskets were used as molds for  some of the earliest pots. Consequently, the history of pottery and basketry, as unearthed  and decoded by archaeologists, is irrevocably interwoven. Where the  vegetable fibers have not survived, many pots that show the patterns of the baskets used  to mold them have been found.

     The Native Americans may well have left the greatest legacy to the world of baskets. The  Indians of Arizona and New Mexico made basket-molded pottery from 5000 to 1000 B.C. as  part of the earliest basket heritage. Their baskets (many of which have survived in  gravesites) are heralded as a pure art form and one that was created not only by a  primitive people but also by women. Basketry extended into the making of many other  materials the Indians used daily including fishing nets, animal and fish snares, cooking  utensils that were so finely woven that they were waterproof, ceremonial costumes and  baskets, and even plaques. In the Northwest, the Tlingit and Chilkat made twined baskets  from the most delicate of fibers. In the Southwest, the Hopi, Apache, and other Pueblo  tribes made coiled baskets with bold decorations and geometric patterns of both dyed and  natural fibers.

     In the late 1800s, the basketry of Native Americans became popular as decorative objects  with the disadvantage that there were fewer Indian craftspeople remaining to meet the  demand. In 1898, after the Spanish American War, the Philippines, which also had a  strong basket-making tradition, were governed by the United States. Rural dwellers grew  their own basket-making materials and manufactured baskets for sale in the cities. The  mutual need for baskets in the United States and the strengthening of the economy of the  Philippines caused schools with classes in basket weaving to be established. The only  books on the subject were about the baskets made by Native Americans, so the schools  taught traditional Indian basketry to the Filipinos. Eventually, native Filipino weavers  became the teachers as well, and both broad ranges of styles found a new homeland for  manufacture and a ready market in the United States. The Philippine Islands remain a  major basket-making center today. Basket weaving has never been found suitable to  mechanization, but standardization of hand methods and concentrated production centers  and facilities produce uniform, high-quality products.

Raw Materials

     Raw materials include a wide range of plant fibers including roots, cane, twigs, and  grasses; reeds, raffia, and basket willows may be the best known. Concentrated cloth  dyes are also used in some types of manufacture, and vegetable dyes are sometimes  made by hobbyists to reproduce unique colorations imitating historic baskets. Wood is  also used for some designs, particularly when the type of basket needs a solid bottom  and for some types of handles. Other than raw materials, the basket maker needs tools  like saws, awls, planes, knives, and beaters for hammering or bending pieces of willow. A  tub is required for soaking fibers. If coiled baskets are to be made, sewing tools like blunt  tapestry needles and thread are required. The manufacturer also needs patterns or  designs. For the hobbyist, many of these items can be purchased in basket-making kits.

     Historically, most Native American baskets have been made with willow (which is, in fact,  the most popular basket-making material worldwide), twigs, and native grasses. Raffia and  rattan have been substituted for these, with raffia taking the place of the grasses and rattan substituting for the more rigid fibers. Raffia is the fiber of the raffia palm, which is  native to Southeast Asia. It produces durable, clean strands and can easily be dyed.  Rattan is also a tropical palm; its leaves and stems are used in basket making, and it is  often called reed or wicker. Rattan does not accept dye as well, and its fibers are hard to  work. Usually, it is soaked and woven while the fibers are still damp.

Design

     Every basket has a character that is largely determined by the kind of fiber used to make  it. Design, therefore, may depend on the available fibers, or, conversely, to produce a  particular design, appropriate fibers need to be purchased or found. Fibers are round,  flexible, or flat. Round rods are usually woven among other round rods. Similarly, flat strips  can be woven together or twisted around stiff rods. Grasses, crushed stems, or  other flexible fibers are wrapped around each other to form a coil then the coil is stitched  to itself in a rising spiral to form the basket sides. The designer, therefore, has  determined  what fibers are available and plans the basket accordingly.

     Designs can be based on existing baskets, photos of historic types, a particular purpose  or use for the basket, or a size and shape required for practical uses or desired for  decorative ones. Another aspect of design is any pattern or coloration that may be worked  into the shape of the basket. Again, materials, their natural colors, and their susceptibility  to dyeing need to be considered.