AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF BASKET WEAVING IN AUSTRALIA
Basket making is a craft which is almost as old as the human race itself. All cultures around the world have a history in the construction of practical objects using plant materials, whether it be for hunting; nets and eel traps, shelter, storage of gathered foods or carrying bags. Before ceramics had even been thought of, people were able to cook food in a basket, not over a fire, but by adding hot stones from a fire to boil water in basket. As you can imagine the basket would need to have been very tightly woven to be able to retain water!
Whichever culture you study, the style and construction of a basket relates to the materials on hand. Palm leaves and cane in tropical areas, bamboo in Asian countries, willow in European countries, grasses and rushes in America. Different methods of basket making developed to suit the nature of plant material, stitching and coiling for grasses and rushes or weaving around a frame for woody materials.
Australian weaving history:
The plant materials suitable for weaving which we have in Australia are the long and strappy leaves of grasses and rushes. Aboriginal cultures had a wide variety of methods, string bags, eel traps, coiled baskets, even children’s toys. The Melbourne Museum has a fantastic display of these.
With European settlement though, knowledge of weaving was based on European plants such as woody willow. Cane had also been introduced to Europe, so this material which was imported from Indonesia being familiar to the Europeans is what was used for basket making in Australia. Basketmaking was taught in schools and used as occupational therapy in hospitals. It was regarded as a useful skill to learn, but of course with plastics to use for containers becoming ever more popular the usefulness and interest declined. So much more effort is needed to harvest the plants, prepare them and weave them into a basket than to purchase a plastic container.
In the 1960’s and 70’s a craft counterculture emerged in America and Europe. Craft became an ideology, a material practice and a lifestyle. The skills of using thread, rope, string, felt and fabric moved from the “low” world of craft to the “high” world of art.
In 1981 a American fibre artist called Douglas Fuchs arrived in Australia on a Crafts Council Fellowship, his influence was to be of highly significant to Australian fibre arts. He had learnt his weaving skills from indigenous American basket weavers and was keen to do the same here, spending time in Arnhem land and learning from indigenous Australians. The culmination of his work was an exhibition tilted ‘Floating Forest’. It was an eye opener; he had used Australian native plants and our indigenous techniques to create an immense sculptural work. Symposium Floating Forest in Ararat 30 years on
Australian indigenous weavers and settler cultures found they had a connection. Fuchs stimulated weavers such as Virginia Kaiser to develop their craft skills into art forms to be exhibited in galleries. For indigenous weavers, such as Yvonne Koolmatrie, with this recognition they were encouraged to revive the weaving skills of their ancestors.
Today each state has a Basket weaving group, in Victoria it is the Basket makers of Victoria. They hold exhibitions, workshops and maintain resources; it is their aim to foster the skills and knowledge of basketry for anyone keen to learn.
Whichever culture you study, the style and construction of a basket relates to the materials on hand. Palm leaves and cane in tropical areas, bamboo in Asian countries, willow in European countries, grasses and rushes in America. Different methods of basket making developed to suit the nature of plant material, stitching and coiling for grasses and rushes or weaving around a frame for woody materials.
Australian weaving history:
The plant materials suitable for weaving which we have in Australia are the long and strappy leaves of grasses and rushes. Aboriginal cultures had a wide variety of methods, string bags, eel traps, coiled baskets, even children’s toys. The Melbourne Museum has a fantastic display of these.
With European settlement though, knowledge of weaving was based on European plants such as woody willow. Cane had also been introduced to Europe, so this material which was imported from Indonesia being familiar to the Europeans is what was used for basket making in Australia. Basketmaking was taught in schools and used as occupational therapy in hospitals. It was regarded as a useful skill to learn, but of course with plastics to use for containers becoming ever more popular the usefulness and interest declined. So much more effort is needed to harvest the plants, prepare them and weave them into a basket than to purchase a plastic container.
In the 1960’s and 70’s a craft counterculture emerged in America and Europe. Craft became an ideology, a material practice and a lifestyle. The skills of using thread, rope, string, felt and fabric moved from the “low” world of craft to the “high” world of art.
In 1981 a American fibre artist called Douglas Fuchs arrived in Australia on a Crafts Council Fellowship, his influence was to be of highly significant to Australian fibre arts. He had learnt his weaving skills from indigenous American basket weavers and was keen to do the same here, spending time in Arnhem land and learning from indigenous Australians. The culmination of his work was an exhibition tilted ‘Floating Forest’. It was an eye opener; he had used Australian native plants and our indigenous techniques to create an immense sculptural work. Symposium Floating Forest in Ararat 30 years on
Australian indigenous weavers and settler cultures found they had a connection. Fuchs stimulated weavers such as Virginia Kaiser to develop their craft skills into art forms to be exhibited in galleries. For indigenous weavers, such as Yvonne Koolmatrie, with this recognition they were encouraged to revive the weaving skills of their ancestors.
Today each state has a Basket weaving group, in Victoria it is the Basket makers of Victoria. They hold exhibitions, workshops and maintain resources; it is their aim to foster the skills and knowledge of basketry for anyone keen to learn.
MATERIALS FOR BASKET WEAVING
A significant part of a basket weaver’s skill is having an understanding and knowledge of suitable plants, their uses and the appropriate season for harvesting them.
Commonly Available Plant Materials
Plants suitable for Stitching, Coiling and Twining
Harvest all year
Summer
Winter
Autumn
Cabbage Tree, Cordyline Australis
New Zealand Flax, Phormium
Red-hot poker
Cornhusk
Mat Rush, Lomandra longifolia (is preferable for its longer leaf)
Aunt Eliza, Chasmanthe floribunda
Watsonia (green leaves)
Iris leaves
Kangaroo paw
Day lily, hemerocalis
Cumbungi, Typha orientalis
Rush, Eliocharis
Flax Lily Dianella sp
Watsonia (brown leaves)
Jacaranda
Pine needles
Casuarina needles
Plants suitable for structure:
Harvest all year
Summer
Winter
Autumn
Cabbage Tree, Cordyline Australis
Grapevines
Passionfruit Vines
Silver Birch
Willow
Basic Tools and equipment:
Secateurs and garden gloves to gather materials. A small sharp knife for stripping lengths. Large eyed needles for stitching and a pair of scissors. Clothes peg to hold the core material together. An old towel, used damp to wrap fibres and keep them pliable.
Harvesting Plant Materials:
Harvesting materials from native plants in the wild is against the law in many areas so it pays to check with authorities first. Harvesting from your own garden is the best option and as knowledge of which plants are preferable, friends and neighbours are often more than happy to oblige. The choice of materials that can be used is as wide as your imagination. The main requirement is strength along the length of the material. If you can hold a length in both hands and pull it without it snapping, it will be suitable for basket making.
Storing materials:
It’s always preferable to use materials as dry as possible, if plants are used green shrinkage can occur, which can make the stitching loose and the basket flimsy over time. Once collected, spread leaves in an airy sunny spot to dry, then gather up and tie into bundles for storage. Store hanging in a dark, dry but airy situation to avoid colour fade and mould.
Preparation:
Most materials will need to be dampened if they are to be pliable enough to bend without cracking. The finer the material, the less dampening that will be required, wrapping in a damp towel will be sufficient. The thicker, or woodier the material, the more dampening required, material needs to be soaked in a tub for several hours, overnight or even several days.
Other suitable materials:
Baskets don’t have to be made with plant fibres. The same techniques for weaving a basket can be achieved with all kinds of found materials. For some it’s a fantastic way to recycle things which may otherwise be thrown out, back into something useful.
Plastic bags: old bread bags are ideal. These can be split into lengths and turned into twine
Fabric strips: most fabrics can be used, with the lighter weight materials being preferable, also suitable for twining, sometimes mixed with plant fibres to add colour.
Wool, string, raffia or twine
Wire such as electrical wire, copper wire is great to use for creating a looped stitch
There’s many more things you could use, the only limit being your imagination.
Commonly Available Plant Materials
Plants suitable for Stitching, Coiling and Twining
Harvest all year
Summer
Winter
Autumn
Cabbage Tree, Cordyline Australis
New Zealand Flax, Phormium
Red-hot poker
Cornhusk
Mat Rush, Lomandra longifolia (is preferable for its longer leaf)
Aunt Eliza, Chasmanthe floribunda
Watsonia (green leaves)
Iris leaves
Kangaroo paw
Day lily, hemerocalis
Cumbungi, Typha orientalis
Rush, Eliocharis
Flax Lily Dianella sp
Watsonia (brown leaves)
Jacaranda
Pine needles
Casuarina needles
Plants suitable for structure:
Harvest all year
Summer
Winter
Autumn
Cabbage Tree, Cordyline Australis
Grapevines
Passionfruit Vines
Silver Birch
Willow
Basic Tools and equipment:
Secateurs and garden gloves to gather materials. A small sharp knife for stripping lengths. Large eyed needles for stitching and a pair of scissors. Clothes peg to hold the core material together. An old towel, used damp to wrap fibres and keep them pliable.
Harvesting Plant Materials:
Harvesting materials from native plants in the wild is against the law in many areas so it pays to check with authorities first. Harvesting from your own garden is the best option and as knowledge of which plants are preferable, friends and neighbours are often more than happy to oblige. The choice of materials that can be used is as wide as your imagination. The main requirement is strength along the length of the material. If you can hold a length in both hands and pull it without it snapping, it will be suitable for basket making.
Storing materials:
It’s always preferable to use materials as dry as possible, if plants are used green shrinkage can occur, which can make the stitching loose and the basket flimsy over time. Once collected, spread leaves in an airy sunny spot to dry, then gather up and tie into bundles for storage. Store hanging in a dark, dry but airy situation to avoid colour fade and mould.
Preparation:
Most materials will need to be dampened if they are to be pliable enough to bend without cracking. The finer the material, the less dampening that will be required, wrapping in a damp towel will be sufficient. The thicker, or woodier the material, the more dampening required, material needs to be soaked in a tub for several hours, overnight or even several days.
Other suitable materials:
Baskets don’t have to be made with plant fibres. The same techniques for weaving a basket can be achieved with all kinds of found materials. For some it’s a fantastic way to recycle things which may otherwise be thrown out, back into something useful.
Plastic bags: old bread bags are ideal. These can be split into lengths and turned into twine
Fabric strips: most fabrics can be used, with the lighter weight materials being preferable, also suitable for twining, sometimes mixed with plant fibres to add colour.
Wool, string, raffia or twine
Wire such as electrical wire, copper wire is great to use for creating a looped stitch
There’s many more things you could use, the only limit being your imagination.