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Introduction Like the architect, the basket maker first conceives an ephemeral space and then encloses it with a fabric of wicker. The result is a complex form, built with nothing more than a handful of twigs, a few simple techniques and a pair of agile and skilled hands. Hundreds of weaving strokes are repeated by a maker before a basket is completed. In turn, hundreds of baskets are made by any one maker before a high standard of quality is achieved. And, it takes hundreds of generations of makers before designs that represent the unique identity of a culture can be refined. Repetition, it seems, is the essence of basket making.A tight-knit community of basket makers in Europe is nowadays striking a fine balance between preservation of traditional methods and patterns and developing more conceptual work. As many of the traditional applications of wicker containers have disappeared with pre-industrial farming and fishing methods, makers have turned to the domestic market and to wicker as a material for art. Britain has yet to make the step in recognising basketry as a valid technology for contemporary design, for which it is valued in other European countries. Rooted in ancient history, it has great potential for a sustainable future. |
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| Introduction | The Material | History | Etymology | Traditional Use | Contemporary Use | Methods | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
