Basket Weaving Research Articles

Method for weaving basket using eco-friendly materials in industrial production

The trend of using eco-friendly items as substitutes for products made from plastic and synthetic leather is becoming increasingly popular with the desire to contribute to reducing environmental pollution. There are many biodegradable materials applied to make baskets as alternatives to plastic or leather products such as bamboo, lemongrass, pandan leaves, etc. However, the basket weaving process has been mainly done by manual or semi-automation. As a result, its productivity is significantly low, and the quality of the product is inconsistent. Thus, the need for an automatic basket-weaving machine is essential, this paper presents a prototype of a basket-weaving machine. The dimensions of the baskets are 150–200 mm in diameter and 100–150 mm in height, respectively. The proposed method produces 30–50 products per day which is three times as many as the manual, and simultaneously, enhances the working conditions of the laborers.•A novel machine is developed to automatically weave baskets using eco-friendly materials.•The proposed method is to improve the productivity of the basket manufacturing process.•The proposed machine would promote eco-friendly baskets and reduce plastic waste.

CAN CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES?: EVIDENCE FROM FARMERS IN ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

The need to analyze the changes that the effect of climate change brings on the income-generating activities of farmers in Enugu state necessitated this study. The study examined farmers' socio-economic characteristics, described the perceived climate change effects, analyzed changes in income-generating activities, and evaluated the link between socio-economic factors and income-generating activities. Primary data were collected from 120 respondents using well-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation. The results showed that the majority (73.3%) of the respondents were male farmers. Results of the study also showed that reduction in productivity (89.2%), change in farming pattern (77.5%), and soil degradation (65.0%) were the most perceived effects of climatic change among the respondents. The result also revealed strong negative change in income-generating activities in the areas of goat/sheep rearing (-33.4), fishing (-32.5), rabbit rearing (-15.0), and basket weaving (15.0), while petty trading (+23.4), hair barbing (+18.3) and food vending (+15.8) had strong positive change in the study area. The study revealed that socio-economic characteristics such as marital status, household size, and years of farming experience are correlated with positive income-generating activities. The study recommends that farmers should prioritize positive income-generating activities that correlate with their socio-economic characteristics. The study also recommends the implementation of crop rotation and organic manure as one of the ecological practices for climate change mitigation.

Producing an Instructional Video for Apprenticeship Training in Basket Weaving in Isale Oyo, Nigeria

Basketry, is making interlaced items, typically containers, out of flexible vegetal fibres like twigs, grasses, osiers, bamboo, and rushes or synthetic or plastic materials. The containers created using this technique are known as baskets. Traditional craft methods for producing artefacts are slowly dying and giving way to modern day technology. In the bid to preserve some of such craft skills and impact same on others, the study embarked on the production of an instructional learning resource for weaving traditional baskets in Isale Oyo, Nigeria. The main thrust of this study was to develop an instructional learning resource (video) that would preserve the traditional craft of weaving cane baskets and also train young people. The ADDIE Model of Instruction Systems Design was implemented for the development of the instructional learning material. This involved a preconceived and self-reflexive practical component. The study revealed the stages involved in the production of instructional videos which are the pre-production, production, and post-production stages respectively. Results of the study reaffirms certain findings in some earlier researches associated with instructional materials production. It also strengthened the potential and relevance of instructional videos in documenting and preserving traditional arts and crafts. Consequently, results from the evaluation carried out, suggest that instructional videos can stand in place of a trainer in an apprenticeship training programme.

An Early Neolithic Bone and Antler Industry of Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don: Technological Strategies and Functional Context

The Early Neolithic site of Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don evidences successive peopling of the coastal zone in the 6th millennium BC. Analysis of faunal remains, toolkit, and limited technological contexts suggest seasonal orientation of the site shown at least at the early stages. We present the results of the analysis of the Early Neolithic bone tools from Rakushechny Yar layers 23–11 of excavation I, and assess their place in the context of bone industries of the contemporaneous archaeological cultures. The collection is dominated by points. Despite the variable morphology, their preforms and manufacturing techniques are rather standard. Apart from points, two spatula-like tools and two specimens with beveled edges, made from red-deer antler, were found. A limited typological and functional set reveals a peculiar subsistence activity. The traceological analysis has highlighted a stable series of tools for working skins and processing coarse vegetable materials (possibly for basket weaving). Spatula-shaped tools were likely destined for processing mineral materials such as ceramics. Certain typological and technological parallels are found in the Northern Caspian and the Lower Volga regions, but especially in the Southern Caucasian Neolithic (Aratashen-Shulaveri-Shomutepe) traditions possibly originating from those of the Levant and Zagros.

Understanding drought risk management in vulnerable communities in dryland farming systems: Evidence from northwest Ghana

Drought intensity and associated risks are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with dire implications for sustainable livelihood. Yet, there is a limited comprehensive understanding of the severity of drought risks in dryland farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana, where climate change has multiple effects on farming operations. Monitoring episodic droughts is particularly important for developing local-based adaptive interventions to sustainably improve livelihood and food systems. Drawing evidence from Northwest Ghana, this study used a Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) to understand drought indices and risks of 40 years (1981–2020), and assessed prioritized coping measures and determinants in rural farming communities. The study revealed that farmers in Northwest Ghana have been experiencing severe intermittent drought risks in the last four decades, with extreme episodes observed in 1983 and 1984. Results show that northern Ghanaian households are coping with drought risks using several strategies such as picking edible wild fruit, migration for labour work, remittances from family members and friends, livestock rearing and sale, petty trading, and basket weaving as the key coping measures by households to counteract drought risk. The BLR estimates show that socio-economic variables such as marital status, household size, market access, and farmland size are significant factors that can predict farmers’ coping interventions. The sale of livestock as a buffer to support households rebound from a climate disaster is critical. We suggest that decision-makers and policy-makers mainstream access to social safety schemes in drought-affected locations to sustain local food systems, agricultural biodiversity and livelihoods.

Fuelwood Collection and Women’s Work in Ancestral Puebloan Societies on the Colorado Plateau

Anthropologists have recently paid greater attention to gender and the division of labor in subsistence societies around the world. These studies have included Ancestral Puebloan societies in the United States Southwest, particularly on the Colorado Plateau. Based on ethnographic literature, women in this region have been responsible traditionally for a wide range of domestic activities, including child-rearing, farming, food preparation, cooking, pottery making, basket weaving, and collecting and transporting firewood and water. The present study presents a predictive model for prehistoric cooking energy systems on the Colorado Plateau. This model examines the causal links between environmental variables and fuelwood demand, acquisition, and use. These causal relationships have been delineated in contemporary cross-cultural research as well as studies of high-altitude cooking. Fuelwood collection, transport, and use form the core of women’s workload. This preliminary study serves to predict women’s annual workload based on the relationship between the number of fuelwood collecting trips and the elevation of Ancestral Puebloan settlements.

Relationship Between Problems of Women Laborers and Their Socio-economic Status

Agriculture, the single largest production endeavor in India, contributing about 18 per cent of GDP, is increasingly becoming a female activity. Women labourers play a crucial role in agriculture activities like main crop production, livestock production, horticulture, post-harvest operations etc. In spite of these, they face a number of problems such as exploitation, long working hours, unhealthy working conditions, insecurity of job, low wages, absence of decision making, male dominating society etc. Similarly the women labourers working in unorganized sector especially in urban areas are engaged in activities like domestic work, construction work, small trade brick making, coir and basket weaving, household industries etc. and they also face same types of problems. Keeping in view the above socioeconomic and psychological problems and factors affecting socio-economics problems, this present study was conducted among 120 women labourers in rural and urban communities of Hisar district of Haryana. The results revealed that majority of the respondents were in the age group of 20-35 years, belonged to scheduled caste, had nuclear families and were agricultural labours in rural areas and construction labourers in urban areas. Maximum number of the respondents from rural and urban areas had high level of social, economic and psychological problems. Regarding socio-economic problems and factors associated, it was found that caste, education, occupation of the family, income and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with problems of respondents.

Ethnic belonging, kinship, and wealth: local politics of descent and group formation in a Roma community

ABSTRACTThe present study investigates the case of a Hungarian-speaking Roma community in a Szekler village (Transylvania) from the perspectives of (contested) ethnic belonging, kinship, and different forms of capital, and presents the struggles of a relatively newly formed group within this community for finding new social and ethnic positions in relation with their Roma fellows and also with the Hungarian/Szekler majority. The members of this new group are the most successful in basket weaving, the special craft of local Roma, while they also share a common family history when they link their descent to a funding father who raised 11 children. The family histories of the descent – besides referring to supposed Hungarian ancestors/relatives – are told in terms of work ethic, education, and religious life that all resulted in wealth, thus creating a new local ethnic group whose members constantly contest their Roma ethnic belonging and delimit themselves from the ordinary Roma. This in-betweenness unfolds the certainties and uncertainties of social and economic life, the identities between self, family, and community. The case can be perceived as an example of the dynamics of local social life and offer a view on the renegotiation of group formation and ethnic boundaries.

Basket weaving as an Aboriginal methodology and theoretical framework

This article explores the development of an Aboriginal basket-weaving theoretical-methodological framework developed as part of a doctoral study that explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers’ aspirations towards school leadership in Australia. Aboriginal basket weaving framed as theory-methodology is positioned through the cultural lens of Indigenous and post-structural theoretical frameworks. Connected and relational ontology is woven through the methodologies of storying and yarning that are held by the basket-weaving theoretical framing yet to be enacted in the fieldwork and analysis. This article is a first look at the framework developed by the lead author in concert with her doctoral supervisors.

‘Genocide is climate change’: a conversation about colonized California and Indigenous futurism

This written conversation unpacks a phrase, ‘genocide is climate change,’ which co-author Christine Howard Sandoval wrote and featured in her video artwork, Niniwas- to belong here (2022). The authors discuss scholarship linking the genocide of Indigenous peoples in the Americas to climate change and contextualize the assertion within an expanded archive of the Spanish missions in California. They address Howard Sandoval’s multimedia work in dialogue with Indigenous women’s basket weaving and land care practices, including the cultural use of fire, in order to consider how Indigenous arts can illuminate the intertwined apocalypses of colonization and climate change.

Traditional crafting as a catalyst for Indigenous women’s intergenerational cohesion and wellness: a Canadian perspective

ABSTRACT Indigenous crafting practices are increasingly being recognised for their benefit to community connectedness, health, cultural identity, and individual wellbeing. This article explores published literature to determine the role of Indigenous crafting in transferring traditional and cultural teachings from female relatives and Elders to girls and younger women. We examine the effect of crafting on intergenerational cohesion and social connectedness within the Indigenous community. Does crafting serve as an effective conduit for physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental change in learners and teachers? Our review identifies 12 publications that describe Indigenous mostly girls and younger women’s experiences as they acquire female Elders’, teachers’ and older family members’ traditional and cultural teachings while participating in crafting activities. The papers identify an array of traditional and cultural activities including: basket weaving, beading, sewing, language acquisition, traditional songs, traditional dance, and storytelling. More contemporary forms of artistic expression such as photography, theatre and film production are also included. Research findings show that learning, teaching and practicing Indigenous crafting is associated with increased intergenerational cohesion, cultural connectedness, and wellbeing for both teachers and learners. Further, learning about Indigenous crafts and activities helps inspire pride in Indigenous identity and promotes healing from historical trauma.

Tourism commodification of traditional basket weaving in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

ABSTRACT Despite the burgeoning interest in cultural tourism in Botswana, its effect on traditional practices has been seldom understood. This study examined the effects of tourism development on traditional basket weaving in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Semi-structured interviews and in-depth interviews were conducted. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and thematically. The results depict a gradual transformation in basketry – from being a domestic utilitarian product to being a most sought after product in the tourism market. Although change was inevitable, local communities are urged to strike a balance between satisfying market demands and preserving the cultural significance of basketry.

Commercial Specialization of Mordva Settlements

Introduction. The post-reform era was characterized by the rapid growth of handicrafts. This phenomenon was noted not only in the Russian, but also in the Mordva village. In some Mordva villages there was a concentration of a wide variety of types of handicrafts and they began to represent a kind of handicraft centers. The article pays attention to the study of the distribution of handicrafts among Mordva villages. On the basis of pre-revolutionary statistical documents, reports of provincial and county zemstvo committees, the level of development of fishing activity among the Mordva has been considered. Materials and Methods. The research is based on the following methods: comparative-historical, historical-genetic, problem-chronological, structural-systemic. As the general scientific research methods, logical, descriptive-narrative, generalization, classification and systematization have been involved. To achieve the results of the study, archival sources, reports of county and provincial statistical committees, journals of meetings of county zemstvo assemblies have been used. Results and Discussion. Mordva artisans lagged behind the Russians in terms of the rate of development of the handicraft industry. The same types of bushcraft were common among Mordva as among Russians. Handicraft production gradually expanded in the Mordva villages in the second half of the XIX – early XX century. Peasants begin to specialize in a certain kind of handicraft. Usually in the Mordva villages there were several handicrafts at once, but there were also those that specialized in one craft. In such settlements, as a rule, artisanal artels were created. So, in the Spassky district of the Tambov province, woodworking crafts dominated, in the Alatyr and Ardatov counties of the Simbirsk province – wool-cutting and felting, in the Saransk district of the Penza province, crew fishing was widespread. P. S. Pallas, I. I. Lepekhin, V. N. Kuklin, I. I. Firstov, A. S. Luzgin, N. F. Mokshin, G. A. Kornishina, E. N. Mokshina and others made a significant contribution to the study of traditional crafts and occupations of the Mordva. Conclusion. Currently, certain types of craft activities are preserved in some Mordva villages. For example, felting is widespread in the villages of the Ardatovsky district of the Republic of Mordva – Urusovo, Zhabino, Old Ardatovo. In the village of Podlesnaya Tavla, Kochkurovsky district, Mordovian craftsmen are engaged in wood carving, making wooden toys. Crafts such as knitting, basket weaving, carpentry, birch bark weaving, cooperage are preserved.

How Design Technology Improves the Sustainability of Intangible Cultural Heritage Products: A Practical Study on Bamboo Basketry Craft

The sustainability problem of many intangible cultural heritage (ICH) products stems from the shrinking of the core practitioner group, which is also the case for bamboo basketry craft. We believe that the problem in bamboo basketry originated in the lack of labor division between design and manufacturing, which prevents professional designers from entering this industry and results in the absence of several key stakeholders related to innovation and R&D. The lack of labor division is due to the technical difficulties associated with expressing the design concepts. The complexity of basket weaving structures makes it difficult to communicate between designer and manufacturer without precise expression tools, thus binding design and manufacturing into an integrated role. Guided by the user innovation theory, our team studied the design technology of bamboo basketry and developed a series of aiding tools, including the modeling of basic over–under structures and free weaving structures, automatic mapping techniques from 2D to 3D and several frequently used weaving skills, such as connecting, wrapping, plaiting and knotting. This technology enables designers to quickly design and express weaving structures with full details in digital models rather than to make samples. The application of the software shows that the technology considerably improved the designer interest and confidence. This technical solution makes designers, rather than programmers, able to do the development work, which also helps to create a sustainable ecological environment of technological research, also avoiding the difficulties associated with attracting business investment for such niche demands in the starting stage. Our practice shows that the sustainability of ICH products and the sustainability of the industry are closely related and that solving the latter supports the former.

Poetics of Dreams and Basket Weaving in Greg Sarris’ Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream

Mabel McKay, a renowned Pomo basket weaver and healer, left an indelible mark on Native American artistry, culture, and spirituality. Her life and work embody a profound connection between the poetics of dreams and the intricate art of basket weaving. This research article delves into McKay's life, analyzing the interplay between her dreams, spiritual beliefs, and the craftsmanship of basket weaving as depicted in "Weaving the Dream," her biography by Greg Sarris. It explores how McKay's dreams shaped her artistic expressions, examining the symbolism, cultural significance, and spiritual dimensions of her baskets.

Melodic Transformation in George Garzone’s Triadic Chromatic Approach; or, Jazz, Math, and Basket Weaving

Abstract The Triadic Chromatic Approach (TCA) is a melodic improvisation technique, created by the saxophonist and jazz educator George Garzone. With the TCA, successive triads are connected by a semitone and must have different inversions. The resulting lines mysteriously resolve to any underlying harmony. This article develops transformational and Markov-chain models of the TCA, showing how this melodic process approaches a probability distribution where every pitch class is equally likely to appear. Nonetheless, theorizing the TCA is different from performing it, and insights from Garzone’s students—and the anthropology of weaving—suggest that goals are less fundamental here than characteristic gestures.

Weaving gender in open collaborative innovation, traditional cultural expressions, and intellectual property: The case of the Tonga baskets of Zambia

AbstractThis article considers the intersection of gender, traditional cultural expressions, collaborative innovation, and intellectual property in the Tonga Indigenous community of Zambia. Based on a study of the Tonga rural women basket makers who are organized around craft clubs, the study investigated the collaborative environment that fosters the preservation of the cultural tradition of basket weaving, the impact it has had on empowering the women, and the legal protection options available for the Tonga baskets. The study found that Zambia’s 2016 Protection of Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Expressions of Folklore Act no. 16 (Traditional Knowledge Act) gives automatic protection to traditional cultural expressions and the option for the protection of traditional cultural expressions under the existing intellectual property laws. Though intellectual property protection may not be practical for the Tonga baskets, the Traditional Knowledge Act is a significant step in recognizing the customary values and governance principles in protecting traditional cultural expressions. Registration, in terms of the Traditional Knowledge Act, could enhance the recognition of the baskets, preserve and promote the cultural heritage, and empower the Tonga women.

Study of the art of basket weaving in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces with pathology

Study of the art of basket weaving in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces with pathology

Pots on mats: mat-impressed salt-extraction pottery at Chalcolithic Provadia-Solnitsata, Bulgaria

Evidence for both basket weaving and salt production is often elusive in the prehistoric archaeological record. An assemblage of Middle–Late Chalcolithic pottery from Provadia-Solnitsata in Bulgaria provides insight into these two different technologies and the relationship between them. The authors analyse sherds from vessels used in large-scale salt production, the bases of which bear the impression of woven mats. This analysis reveals the possible raw materials used in mat weaving at Provadia-Solnitsata and allows interpretation of the role of these mats in salt production at the site. The results illustrate how it is possible to see the ‘invisible’ material culture of prehistoric south-eastern Europe and its importance for production and consumption.

The Geometry of Basket Weaving

Researchers teamed up with an artist to tweak a popular basket-weaving approach, finding a way to weave ribbons to produce any curvature desired. n