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The craft of basketmaking, as we
know it today, probably began soon after
our earliest ancestors stood up on their hind
legs and began to carry things from one place to
another. This would mean that we have been
basketmaking for about 1 million years and we
still do it today. This is also the reason
why every race of people on the planet today have
practised, or still practice, the art of
basketmaking as we are all descended from these
early basketmakers who got up on their feet and
walked out of Africa. The earliest baskets
were probably just a collection of twigs or
grasses similar to constructions made by other
animals. Gorillas for example make a sort
of bed from branches to sleep for the night and
various small rodents make "beds" from
straw, grasses etc. I suppose these are the
beginnings of basketmaking. The real expert
basketmakers of the animal kingdom must be the
birds. Some nests made by our feathered
friends are quite intricate and are better than
some of my earlier attempts at basketmaking.
I am not sure how long the birds have been making
nests but the thought struck me that, since the
birds are supposed to be the descendants of
dinosaurs, then perhaps basketmaking is a
very, very old craft indeed! Once
the technique of twisting or weaving the material
had been discovered all sorts of new basket
designs began to emerge. Fish traps,
rucksacks, matting, cooking pots, boats and even
houses all were made using basketmaking skills.
Gabion Baskets which are made like cylinders with open
ends were used as protection for soldiers against cannon
and musket balls. They were stood on end and filled with
soil and were very effective. Sometimes these gabion baskets would
be filled with wool or straw and rolled in front of
advancing troops.
These skills which, as we see, have been
developing for a considerable time probably
reached their peak a few hundred years ago. Basketry is very hard on the hands and arms. It is very easy to cut yourself with the knife. A very common complaint when you first start basketry. This, although very inconvenient, is usually quite quick to heal and not a very serious problem although it is possible to pick up quite nasty infections from the knife. One of these possible diseases is:- Damage to the tendons is quite a common problem and can stop you basketmaking for a considerable time. It is therefor a good idea to try to avoid tendonitis is possible. Don't work for long periods. Take a lot of breaks and if you feel any pain or tiredness then stop and take a rest. There are a number of exercises which you can do to help strengthen the muscles and tendons. A good website for information about this sort of injury is: http://www.nismat.org/index.html Another problem which has come to my attention recently is the effect of toxic substances on the raw materials. This might be weedkiller or pesticides which have been sprayed on the plants before you collect them. If you suspect that your material may be contaminated then always wash your hands after touching the stuff and avoid putting your fingers into your mouth.
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