DOI Heft:
No. 215 (February, 1911)
DOI Artikel:Wheatley, Oliver: Japanese ornamental basket work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20972#0064
Japanese Ornamental Basket Work
"in the port of naples " (See preceding article) by edoardo dalbono
JAPANESE ORNAMENTAL A further testimony of the antiquity of the art
BASKET WORK. BY OLIVER °f basket weaving may be adduced from the
WHEATLEY circumstance that many races still barbarous, or
semi-barbarous, are expert basket workers. In the
Basket work, although made of a wood sub- Victoria and Albert Museum may be seen some
stance, is fashioned in a method so entirely different admirable specimens of a high degree of excellence
to ordinary wood working it may be said to belong by native hands. Some of the American Indian
rather to weaving from the point of view of its tribes also do excellent work.
technique. Basket weaving, indeed, is a current There is another point of interest in the fact
term, and a precisely similar system of warp and that, although the design of the weaving may be
weft is employed as in the case of weaving proper. varied to an endless extent, many of the patterns
This parallel is interesting, as although the differ- are to be found in widely separated localities,
ence between a basket and a piece of cloth is so great The beautiful Japanese charcoal basket, shown on
it really appears the two had a common origin. Page 44 (Fig- 3) is identical in design with
Certainly both are of the highest antiquity, and specimens from such distant places as Uganda
from many circumstances it seems both belong to and Mexico, though whether this is due to
the earliest of the useful arts. Fragments of similarity of impulse in the presence of similar
woven cloth and nets have been found among the needs, or whether all are traceable to a centre
remains of the .Swiss lake dwellings, which in itself from which all have been diffused, is impossible
is evidence of the age of the art, and if we to determine here.
attempt to picture its origin it is fairly easy to Basket work, like many other essential arts, is
imagine the placing of a set of fibres or twigs one of those responses to needs which will never
and interlacing them with another set, of course die, which are the same in any country, and the
by hand alone, and which could also be the rudest features which characterised its utility ages upon
hands without tools of any kind. ages ago are the same to-day. It is very strong,
42
"in the port of naples " (See preceding article) by edoardo dalbono
JAPANESE ORNAMENTAL A further testimony of the antiquity of the art
BASKET WORK. BY OLIVER °f basket weaving may be adduced from the
WHEATLEY circumstance that many races still barbarous, or
semi-barbarous, are expert basket workers. In the
Basket work, although made of a wood sub- Victoria and Albert Museum may be seen some
stance, is fashioned in a method so entirely different admirable specimens of a high degree of excellence
to ordinary wood working it may be said to belong by native hands. Some of the American Indian
rather to weaving from the point of view of its tribes also do excellent work.
technique. Basket weaving, indeed, is a current There is another point of interest in the fact
term, and a precisely similar system of warp and that, although the design of the weaving may be
weft is employed as in the case of weaving proper. varied to an endless extent, many of the patterns
This parallel is interesting, as although the differ- are to be found in widely separated localities,
ence between a basket and a piece of cloth is so great The beautiful Japanese charcoal basket, shown on
it really appears the two had a common origin. Page 44 (Fig- 3) is identical in design with
Certainly both are of the highest antiquity, and specimens from such distant places as Uganda
from many circumstances it seems both belong to and Mexico, though whether this is due to
the earliest of the useful arts. Fragments of similarity of impulse in the presence of similar
woven cloth and nets have been found among the needs, or whether all are traceable to a centre
remains of the .Swiss lake dwellings, which in itself from which all have been diffused, is impossible
is evidence of the age of the art, and if we to determine here.
attempt to picture its origin it is fairly easy to Basket work, like many other essential arts, is
imagine the placing of a set of fibres or twigs one of those responses to needs which will never
and interlacing them with another set, of course die, which are the same in any country, and the
by hand alone, and which could also be the rudest features which characterised its utility ages upon
hands without tools of any kind. ages ago are the same to-day. It is very strong,
42