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BASKETCLUB x SCHLOSS HOLLENEGG FOR DESIGN

Brief 🪡
Title: The Ebb and Flow
Material: Royal blue threads and fabric paper

Growing up in a transcultural environment through my Malaysian Chinese roots, I often recall seeing blue and white porcelain items laying around in my family-run restaurant.

For this edition, I’m thrilled to reimagine basketry with a combination of hand and machine sewing techniques. There is no doubt about it, handwork is exquisite, but there’s also an understated elegance in the simplicity of a machine-made pattern, like the edge finishing pattern.

The structure of the basket is made with triaxial weave, a technique which originates largely in East and Southeast Asia. It is typically produced with rigid materials such as the bamboo, giving it a solid grip. Here instead, the sewing functions to hold the triaxial weave together, offering both functionality and a glimpse into the ornamented world.

As a result, my woven ode to Chinese porcelain from my childhood.

#objectsofmemories #culturalmemories

Image 2: China ceramic jar from the mid 15th century. Porcelain with cobalt under a transparent glaze. A Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

MADE IN — PREcIOUS WOOD

Design Workshop
Schneeberg, Germany
23.09. – 27.09.2024
⭢ More on workshop

Chip basket making has existed in the region around Lauter and Bockau (Ore Mountains/Erzgebirge) since 1830. Before the invention of chip baskets, flexible spruce branches were woven into baskets, or the fine roots of the spruce trees were dug up because there were no willows in the Erzgebirge. This led to a ban on digging up tree roots, so they had to come up with something new – the chip basket. From 1830 onwards, more and more producers made chip baskets, mostly at home, with the help of children. In the 19th century, the chip baskets from the region around Lauter and Bockau were distributed internationally and were shipped as far as New York and London. Today, the craft is kept alive by Annette Rüffer and we will be learning from her.

Reimagining an everyday object

This ordinary object, a wood chip basket: One usually comes across them at open-air markets. Stacked up like scaffolding and laid out on stalls, they are used to transport and display fruits and vegetables. Our eyes wander from mushrooms to strawberries, and we don’t think for one instant about the container of which we can see only tiny corners. And yet this link in the food chain deserves a moment of our attention. Its design has remained unchanged for sixty years: a few slats of stapled spruce wood. In spite of this apparent simplicity and the rudimentary construction, it is a picture of balance and lightness, resilience and the economic use of a natural resource. Modern wood chip baskets are the reflection of changes to containers for food products that have evolved from rural split wood basket to reusable wood chip basket.

We created a series of completed exhibition-quality pieces, as well as expressive studies and prototypes that will be presented in two exhibitions in Ljubljana, Slovenia and in Schneeberg, Germany in 2025.

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This workshop is funded by the European Union.

MADE IN partners are: Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau (WHZ), @muozagreb, @oaza_kolektiv, @drugomore, @center_rog, @kunstgewerbemuseum.skd, @novaiskra, @maoslovenia / @czk_centerzakreativnost, Zenica City Museum, @passaaofuturo.

VEDMEIS: THE TRADITIONAL NORWEGIAN SPLIT WOOD BASKET

Learning trip, August 2024

For many years I’ve been fascinated by basket made for rural use (popular baskets) simply for its beauty, ingenuity and its quality made to last. The character of the landscape that shape the objects, balancing necessity and (im)perfection. There is also the knowledge of reverse engineering in restauration processes that cleverly repair damages or solve mistakes during weaving because they are use objects. I think, design can learn so much from this knowledge.

Vedmeis basket is made of split hazel and willow rods. It was traditionally used for containing hay, wood and wool. Its special structure of two brackets form both the legs and handles of the basket. Additional stakes in the corners create a beautiful form.

The process of preparing the materials is the most labour intensive, it takes up the most time; 1/3 of the time for weaving.

Learned from Hege Iren Aasdal and Samson Øvstebø with support from one and only Akademie Flechtsommer Dalhausen.

MATERIAL RESEARCH: CYPRUS

Field trip, May 2024

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned during my recent trip to Cyprus, was the lost craft of Halloumi basket/sieve. These days, plastic sieves are used. While documenting the making of the traditional Cypriot hand broom, I discovered that the same vegetable fibre from the genus Juncus, with the local name, Sklinitzi (Το σκλινίτζι) is used for making baskets. Its stems are upright, very sharp and a lateral inflorescence placed on the top of the stem. The plant thrives in wetlands, areas with running water and streams.

Sklinitzia were particularly useful in basket weaving. Basket weaving is an art that many Cypriots knew in the old days and it was necessary, since the objects they made had various uses in everyday life. Today, there are very few people left who deal with the specific use of sklinitzia, because the traditional objects made from these natural materials have been replaced by other containers made of plastic.

The use of these basketry products, made from sklinitzia and other plants, may fell out of use but is still an answer to the use of plastics.

Coming soon : This research will be part of “Land of Brooms” publication which will be published in 2025.

Left to right
[1] Cypriot hand broom, Evey Kwong
[2] Juncus heldreichianus, N° PCPR018374, Herbier Pierre Coulot & Philippe Rabaute
[3] Halloumi baskets from Cyprus, Evey Kwong

MATERIAL RESEARCH: sardinia, IT

Field trip, Apr 2024

A week-long exploratory trip to Sardinia allows me to uncover several natural materials which was to me before, unknown for weaving. Among others, asphodelus, mastic tree, myrtle, prickly pear, mauritania grass, wild olive tree and giant fennel. With its warm coastal temperature, the landscape is filled with Mediterranean shrubs and tall invasive plants, providing the local weavers with a wide variety of plant fibres and range of handicrafts. These include robust and rigid baskets, creels, sieves and sifters, as well as fine baskets.

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Image depictions
[1] Asphodelus
[2] A potential biomaterial from a prickly pear
[3] Giant fennel
[4] Giant reed or cane

A VISIT TO A FISHtrap basket weaver

Woven communities

It was fortuitous that I was able to make contact with a fellow fishtrap/Nansa basket weaver, Giovanni Marongiu, through the intermediary of Henriette Waal from Atelier Luma. Giovanni grew up with his father, a fisherman, and has been making these fishtraps in different sizes for different fish and shellfish. As is the case with many obsolete crafts, the fishtrap has lost its original purpose. The ambiguous re-contextualised objects, which are produced for tourists as souvenirs, lamp shades and shopper baskets, fail to surpass the original utilitarian purpose of the technique. Consequently, they have lost their intrinsic value, despite their appeal to a niche market.

SU CIBIRU, A CULTURAL MESH

The Lost Basket Project

Su Cibiru, the traditional sieve of the Sardinian, has been used for generations to turn Gnocchi (Malloreddus) by hand. Malloreddus, sometimes Italianised as gnocchetti sardi, are a type of pasta typical of Sardinian cuisine. They have the shape of thin ribbed shells, made of semolina flour and water. The distinctive shape of Malloreddus is achieved through pressing the dough cubes against the end of a straw basket, called su cibiru (“the sieve”) in order to get them striped, or to have them smooth it was enough to simply press them against a wooden base.

Tracing the origin of this basket has reveals insights into how the industrialisation of pasta manufacturing has transformed this stapled food. Today, only a tiny proportion of the production process is handcrafted, which has resulted in the lost of this intricate sieve basket, and above all, a food culture.

“Of all the containers for food these are the most complex and difficult to make. The fibers used are various and are harvested in late spring, from April to the end of June. Usually cylindrical in shape with straight low walls, they are made up of three basic parts: the base, the filter and the sidewalls.

The base is a perfect circle, made from a length of bramble, elm or oleaster that forms the frame onto which the artifact develops. The filter of the sieve is made with reed stems within a woven mesh of very fine sedge fibers. The sidewalls are made of reeds, reaching a maximum height of 8 cm, distributed over a few concentric coils using a twisted stitch with a radial seam.” [1]

#lostcultures #originoffood

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[1] Text via Museo dell'Intreccio Mediterraneo

What does it mean to practice ingenuity in times of environmental crisis?

Field trip

From the fruit, thorny vines to leaves. Identifying and foraging different local species of wild rattan. To understand basketry as a craft is to understand the relationship between humans and the vegetal realm.

A utopic condition was set in place where one of the most protected areas and indigenous Iban community of resistance to illegal logging and palm oil production; West Borneo, Sungai Utik. Here, I am allowed to speak freely about the notion of abundance (rather than of scarcity), in the lens of indigenous stewardship and practices.

With the indigenous communities, respect towards nature is beyond the non-extractive model; understanding of how plants structure, behave and adopting them as allies and community resource (beyond profit).

I stopped using rattan some years back when I learned that this over-harvesting of ‘profitable crop’ has affected the forest health. When rattan is processed in the conventional way, toxic chemicals and petrol are used to process the materials.

These days, the occasions when I get to use rattan is only when I am in Borneo with the indigenous weavers or when I happen to find a sustainable source.

That is to say, these challenges are often never talked about in the crafts making business. The results of the forest products (fast crafts) are the main concern of the buyers and makers.

A labour and time consuming craft such as basket weaving has often been overlooked by the value of sustainable material sourcing and processing. To be able to experience and learn the indigenous way of crafts making remains a great experience for me until today.

#wovencommunities #materialecology #criticalcrafts #rattan

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Appearing on the image is Ibu Lidia Sumbun, with the company of Borneo Mahakarya. This trip to the Iban Longhouse in Sungai Utik took place in early 2023.

SHIMEKAZARI – JAPANESE NEW YEAR

Found knowledge

New Year is approaching and there are certain adornments that are still made in modern times in Japan to celebrate this time. Shimekazari is one such decoration, braided in lengths with rice straw, used for ritual purification in the Shintō religion to bring bountiful harvests and blessings for the new year. Each family in olden times used to make their own ropes with wishes for good fortune in the coming year. They are found hanging on front doors and gates during the first three to fifteen days of the New Year.

Traditionally, they are made with twisted rice straw, festooned with a daidai (bitter orange), fern fronds and gohei or shide (zigzag strips of white paper). Shimekazari vary from region to region, just like language.

#materialculture #ritual

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Image credit:
1 - Meoto Iwa, two rocks in Ise Bay connected by shimenawa. Shot by Marubatsu via Wikipedia.
2 - Life in Japan

THE SUSURRATIONS OF TREES
Found knowledge
⭢ Listen to Podcast

🍃 Got very obsessed with the topic of susurration when I discovered that other than identifying the tree by the form of leaves, texture of barks, etc., the tree can be identified through the sound of leaves in the wind.

“They capture the distinctive susurrations of several species: quivering poplars, aspens that sound like rain, rattling London planes, whispering elms, the hiss of the ash, whooshing pines and the strangely silent yew.”

#languageofnature #exploringsenses #psithurism #susurration #onomatopoeia

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Image credit:
“Influence of Leaf Physical Properties on Single-Leaf Vibrational Response to Sound” by Mengmeng Li and Jian Kang, 17 January 2020.

THE QUARTER CRAN

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Rainer Groth
Material: Willow and hazel

“Baskets such as the quarter crans represented time and money to the carrier. The crans were baskets used to weigh and carry herring. Their measure has its origin in Scotland. The very word crann in Gaelic can mean a ‘measure for fresh herring’. Their size was regulated and standardized by government decree as a legal measure. From all points of view, it was very important that they were of a consistent size, or fishermen might be paid too little, or too much for their catch.”

The willows in between are bounded by waling and fitching. The weaving process is significant in the way the base and the border are all one bit of the willow. Short lengths of willow were used in the base so that, after it has been woven, the new lengths would be added and become the uprights and then form the top border of the basket.

To be precisely made, they had to be made by trained basket-makers. This cran shown in pictures is made by me based on the measurement from the great English basket-maker Colin Manthorpe with guidance from German basket-maker Rainer Groth. Rainer was fortunate to have met, acquainted and have acquired a cran from Colin before his passing.

#traditionalbasket #materialculture

Far right pictures and historical depiction © Woven Communities

EGMONDSE DRAAGMAND

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
Material: Willow

“The Egmond carrier basket is typically made of brown and white willow, woven in a block pattern. It is a traditional basket used in the Egmond area until after the Second World War. The fishermen in Egmond called such a basket ‘Dreegmand’ (carrier basket) and they used it for all kinds of transport, including for beachcombing. In the past, the basket was also used to transport fish and shrimp.

‘Dreegmanden’ were made in three sizes, made by Alkmaar basket makers. The small sizes were used by the women and children to pick blackberries in the dunes. The farmers in Egmond within the dune area also used the carrier basket, under the name ‘kriel’. Remarkably, in Scotland the name ‘creel’ is known, but for a completely different type of basket.” ~ “van Wild naar Mand” by Piet-Hein Spieringhs

My version of the basket is improvised with a common oval base and curved body form. The original form is slightly conical with a Dutch-style base attached with a foot.

#traditionalbasket #ruralcraft

TUB SHAPE LOG / TURF BASKET

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 51 (w) x 55cm (h)
Material: Willow

I enjoy making country baskets rather than professionally made baskets for the reason of its puristic beauty and the humble tradition. There are many groundwork in country baskets to learn only with techniques themselves applied to their functionalities.

The form is inspired by Joe Hogan’s own turf basket from his traditional baskets archive.

Why is this a traditional basket since many willow techniques were widely used by basketmakers?

Because of the use of thick uprights, the base often warped, necessitating the use of a foot (a protective border underneath the basket that kept the base from touching the ground). A foot adds enormously to the length of time a basket will last and this technique was kept alive in Ireland by traditional rather than professional basketmakers.

#traditionalbasket #materialculture

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🙋‍♂️

Commission for Basketclub x HAY
Material: Felt balls, Linden splint and spruce wood plate

RICE SEED BASKET

Found object: Rice seed basket made of rattan, poran bamboo potentially dyed with plant sap, wood stripe (unknown)
Findspot: Chiang Dao
Acquired by Jeanny Bouwen

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🕯

Play

A series of improvised torches using available and found plant materials. Going back before the invention of candles, the earliest form of artificial lighting used to illuminate an area were campfires or torches. Although it is convenient for us to acquire candles today, we often forget we are surrounded by materials which could be improvised to light up fire.

1. Torch made of damar gum wrapped in palm leaves.
2. Torch made of resin, bamboo leaves tied with raffia.
3. Torch composed of Zacaton roots soaked in fat or wax.

#materiality #lettherebelight #functionalobjects #resiliency #plantfibre #materialculture

BASKETCLUB x CRAFTS COUNCIL NEDERLAND / BRIEF 🔌

Play
Material: Bell wires

How to wrap 5 eggs (haywirely), quoting the renowned Hideyuki Oka’s traditional Japanese packaging book.

Occasionally, I like doing things that are against my will, for example the Macramé knots. I often like playing with the limits of plasticity / elasticity of a material against a technique, in this case Macramé is usually implemented on soft materials.

As a result, my woven ode to Japanese traditional packaging aesthetic.

#newmaterials #newfunction

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🎭

Play

Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, as well as in the performing arts and for entertainment. A replicated mask becomes mere decorative effort and somewhat feels senseless unless it serves a culturally represented purpose. While making this mask, i began contemplating possibilities of introducing new forms which have not been represented by a particular culture. Can a new form and function (in this case a performative hand fan) be invented while keeping the use of natural materials?

View more works here.

#newfunction #performative #handfan

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🌞

Play

Inspired by the Japanese kagome weaving which bamboo is typically used for plaits construction, new material such as bronze wires are used to bind and sew the the rim and plaits together. The stripes are split with an improvised lo-tech device constructed with repurposed plywoods.

Works from all participants can be seen here.

#newmaterial #hexagonalplaiting

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🚲

Play

A reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave (Kerawang). Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.

While contemplating the reinterpretation, I question the feasibility of the original material (rattan), fitting to the functional roots. I felt it was not appropriate to reconstruct any artifact without prior deeper consideration on the material culture origin and its use.

The basket is made out of curiosity with how far the technique could be expanded with its boundaries with the use of new materials and at the same time new technical parameters.

#newmaterials #materialculture #cycloidinterlacing #looping #borneo

BEKANG FROM BORNEO

Found knowledge

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Image credit to British Museum: Bekang Dechur by Kelabit ethnic group

PLAYTIME

Quad node weaving, compressable. Form inspired by Alison Martin’s work.

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#lattice #knot #geometry

RICE CULTURES BY PLAIT

Found knowledge

While looking at these unique rice containers, i’ve figured that human evolution has hinted teaching is not essential for people to learn to make effective tools. The results counter established views about how human tools and technologies come to improve from generation to generation and point to an explanation for the extraordinary success of humans as a species. Although teaching is useful, it is not essential for cultural progress because people can use reasoning and reverse engineering of existing items to work out how to make tools.

The capacity to improve the efficacy of tools and technologies from generation to generation, known as cumulative culture, is unique to humans and has driven our ecological success. It has enabled us to inhabit the toughest and most remote regions on Earth and even have a permanent base in space. The way in which our cumulative culture has boomed compared to other species however remains a mystery.

While a knowledgeable teacher clearly brings important advantages, allowing students to independently create and design is more the crucial.

1 - Doll made of palm leaf, origin: Maluku, Indonesia
2 - Bottle made of rattan, origin: Madang, Papua New Guinea
3 - Pouch made of reed, origin: Palugama, Sri Lanka
4 - Bird-shaped pouch made of rush by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
5 - Bottle made of palm leaf by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
6 - Pouch made of palm leaf, origin: Rambah, Sumatra

Credit images to British Museum

WINDMILL KNOTS

Play

Further play with square, pentagon and hexagonal construction of knots with Maori windmill knots. All materials thanks to Forces in Translation.

Forces in Translation works in the intersection of basketry, mathematics and anthropology. It is a Royal Society/Apex funded project, based in the UK.

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🍭

Play

Having so much fun making this! A further exploration with paper loops. This technique is inspired by Alison Martin's works.
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#knots #coiling #fibonacci #geometry

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF ❄️

Play

My first entry as a contribution to the club. Basketclub is an incredible group of designers and artists who use basket weaving techniques to experiment with materials and contexts.

Second image from the left, top: The Trustees of the British Museum. Snow goggles made by the Inuit / 1613699853, bottom: L.T. Burwash / Library and Archives Canada / PA-099362

THE PRE-NOMADS

Found knowledge

“Angkat Rumah” (lifting houses) was a form of physical relocation that was a common tradition practiced in kampungs as houses predominately consisted of wood. The structure of the house which is built with pillars makes it easy to be carried around. Depending on the size of the house, bamboo sticks are tied to the beam of the house to help lift it.

In the Malay and Filipino language there’s even its own term, ‘gotong royong’ and ‘bayanihan’, meaning the “community spirit”.

This tradition also fostered a sense of community, and originated when villagers wanted to move closer to their friends and family. Due to the increase of brick houses, it became easier to demolish than relocate. Therefore, this tradition has declined in popularity and is rarely practiced today.

TRADITIONAL WOODEN WHISK

Found knowledge

The Spreewalders are sometimes superstitious and also practical. So it shows here with the wooden whisk. When the Christmas tree stands in the room for a long time, the wood of the trunk hardens and dries. Whorls were now carved from the ends of the sacred tree by shortening the branches and sawing off the whisk stick to the desired length. A new kitchen mixer is ready. Traditionally, these whorls were made to over 1 meter long.

Source CC-BY-NC-SA @ Museum des Landkreises Oberspreewald-Lausitz

NICK CAVE: VERNACULAR PERFORMANCE

Found knowledge

An anthropomorphic structure serving as regalia for performance.

“Untitled Soundsuit” (2006) by Nick Cave. Dogwood twigs, wire, upholstery, and mannequin.

⭢ Link

WEAVE WATER

Found knowledge

These are Marshall Islands stick charts and they were made using the midrib of coconut fronds. The Marshall Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean within a region of islands known as Micronesia. Historically, the Malayo-Polynesian seafaring population from this part of the world used the stick chart as a kind of navigational device. But what the map visualises are not contours of land surface. Instead, the curving intersecting lines, supported by a skeletal framework, represent major ocean swells as well as how the location of islands, represented here with seashells, would change those wave patterns. Unlike how we rely on our Google map or Waze while driving on the road today, the charts were not used or consulted during a voyage. Instead, the information was memorised before embarking on a journey by an expert sailor who was trained to sense how the outrigger canoe would roll over the swell. Kinda like how Google map was used, well, before the advent of smartphones.

One of the handful of surviving rebbelib artifacts, currently on display at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Credit: DMNS and Malaysia Design Archive

NEW WORK: MUZZLE FOR CATTLE

Rural Crafts Research

Weaving origin: Portugal
Material: Esparto
Length of cord: 6m

NORTHERN LUZON HATS

Found knowledge
⭢ Link

Pictures credit to Penn Museum

How to hypnotise a chicken

Found knowledge

Animals can be hypnotised in direct relation to their ability to concentrate their attention. While there seem to be no obvious reason for doing this, other than sheer entertainment value, the technique is in fact useful for farmers who need to slaughter a chicken, but do not have assistance at hand. It has also been said that the birds being relaxed beforehand, make more tender, tasty meat.

⭢ Watch this

WARAZAN: JAPANESE DATA STORAGE

Found knowledge

With special knotted cords, data were stored until the 20th century on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. With rice straw, nodes were arranged according to a certain system and represent quantities in the decimal system. This made it easy to record information without knowing the characters.

A similar method is also known by the Inca Empire. There, the cords (Quipu) were used for records in the administration, with which religious, chronological and statistical data were stored. For bookkeeping, especially the understanding of the individual calculation steps and to make sense for the intermediate results.

Artefact from Okinawa, 1930

Suquamish basket maker, Ed Carriere explaining and performing the lost art of clam basketmaking.

⭢ Watch this

WOVEN WEATHER DATA

Inspiration

A non-traditional woven sculpture teaching method by Artist Nathalie Miebach based on weather data collection.

⭢ Watch this

THE ANCESTRAL FOOD OF CHINA

Found knowledge

“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.
All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.
According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.
This is to show respect to customers.”

⭢ Watch the docuseries

THE HUNTER-GATHERER CULTURE

Found knowledge

The Matagi tribes are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Because of the geographical conditions, the tribes had to hunt for survival. Their lifes are sustained through hunting, firing fields, and making wooden and basketry objects.

With the introduction of guns in the 20th century, the need for group hunting for bear has diminished, leading to a decline in Matagi culture.

MUZZLES FOR CATTLE

Found knowledge

These muzzles would be fitted to cattle to prevent grazing when crossing fields with crops. The bentwood model is a particularly well made and pleasing object and probably less irritating for the cow or bull to wear than the rope one.

Explore book: The Hard Life by Jasper Morrison

WORKING WITH REDUCTION

Found knowledge

Japanese chopstick rests
Source: Takayuki Shimizu

THE MESOPOTAMIAN MARSHES OF IRAQ

Found knowledge

The photos are a fascinating account of the lives of indigenous ‘Marsh Arabs’, whose lives in the marshes of Iraq were devastated by large scale draining of their homeland by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. After the fall of the regime the arid marshes were re-flooded when people broke through the embankments holding back the water. The return of the plants, animals and community to this unique landscape speaks of the resilience of people and environment to respond and be restored after ecological destruction and crisis.

First constructed in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq over 5,000 years ago, the ‘mudhif‘, the huge parabolic arched construction, is a unique local meeting place constructed entirely of reeds, straw and other natural materials.

KENYAH ANCESTRAL MUSIC

Listen to this

The sape' is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu. These indigenous ethnic are mainly the “Kayan” and “Kenyah” groups who settle near the rivers of Central Borneo. They are known for their traditional musical instrument, jatung utang (wooden xylophone), sape' (a type of guitar), sape' bio (single stringed bass), lutong (a four- to six-string bamboo tube zither) and keringut (nose flute).

Listen to Matthew Ngau Jau

WOVEN BAMBOO HOUSE — TRADITIONAL GREEN BUILDING

Found knowledge
⭢ Link

We study material folk-cultures not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.

The film was captured in Ethiopia by Gordon Clarke of the Institute of Nomadic Architecture.

JAPANESE FOLK CULTURE

Found knowledge

Extremely fascinating functional artifact:
Insect cage made in cycad leaf

via aguni archive

ON WEAVING A BASKET

Found knowledge

“The world of our experience is, indeed, continually and endlessly coming into being around us as we weave. If it has a surface, it is like the surface of the basket: it has no ‘inside’ or ‘outside’. Mind is not above, nor nature below; rather, if we ask where mind is, it is in the weave of the surface itself. And it is within this weave that our projects of making, whatever they may be, are formulated and come to fruition. Only if we are capable of weaving, only then can we make.” — Tim Ingold

Listen to the sounds:
The Growth of Artifacts by Yannick Dauby

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The blog post section claims no possession for the materials use, nor for the purpose of commercial use. Some of the contents are either depicted with the knowledge of the owner, or without, due to the unaccessible origin of the information. If you are the owner of the content, and forbid sharing, please do not hesitate to contact me. In any case, your content will always be credited, direct or indirectly.

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BLOG

BASKETCLUB x SCHLOSS HOLLENEGG FOR DESIGN

Brief 🪡
Title: The Ebb and Flow
Material: Royal blue threads and fabric paper

Growing up in a transcultural environment through my Malaysian Chinese roots, I often recall seeing blue and white porcelain items laying around in my family-run restaurant.

For this edition, I’m thrilled to reimagine basketry with a combination of hand and machine sewing techniques. There is no doubt about it, handwork is exquisite, but there’s also an understated elegance in the simplicity of a machine-made pattern, like the edge finishing pattern.

The structure of the basket is made with triaxial weave, a technique which originates largely in East and Southeast Asia. It is typically produced with rigid materials such as the bamboo, giving it a solid grip. Here instead, the sewing functions to hold the triaxial weave together, offering both functionality and a glimpse into the ornamented world.

As a result, my woven ode to Chinese porcelain from my childhood.

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Image 2: China ceramic jar from the mid 15th century. Porcelain with cobalt under a transparent glaze. A Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

#objectsofmemories #culturalmemories

MADE IN — PREcIOUS WOOD

Design Workshop
Schneeberg, Germany
23.09. – 27.09.2024
⭢ More on workshop

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This workshop is funded by the European Union. MADE IN partners are: Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau (WHZ), @muozagreb, @oaza_kolektiv, @drugomore, @center_rog, @kunstgewerbemuseum.skd, @novaiskra, @maoslovenia / @czk_centerzakreativnost, Zenica City Museum, @passaaofuturo.

VEDMEIS: THE TRADITIONAL NORWEGIAN SPLIT WOOD BASKET

Learning trip, August 2024

Learned from Hege Iren Aasdal and Samson Øvstebø with support from one and only Akademie Flechtsommer Dalhausen.

MATERIAL RESEARCH: CYPRUS

Field trip, May 2024

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned during my recent trip to Cyprus, was the lost craft of Halloumi basket/sieve. These days, plastic sieves are used. While documenting the making of the traditional Cypriot hand broom, I discovered that the same vegetable fibre from the genus Juncus, with the local name, Sklinitzi (Το σκλινίτζι) is used for making baskets. Its stems are upright, very sharp and a lateral inflorescence placed on top of the stem. The plant thrives in wetlands, areas with running water and streams.

The use of these basketry products, made from sklinitzia and other plants, may fell out of use but is still an answer to the use of plastics.

Coming soon : This research will be part of “Land of Brooms” publication which will be published in 2025.

•
Left to right
[1] Cypriot hand broom, Evey Kwong
[2] Juncus heldreichianus, N° PCPR018374, Herbier Pierre Coulot & Philippe Rabaute
[3] Halloumi baskets from Cyprus, Evey Kwong

MATERIAL RESEARCH: sardinia, IT

Field trip

A VISIT TO A FISHtrap basket weaver

Woven communities

SU CIBIRU, A CULTURAL MESH

The Lost Basket Project

#lostcultures #originoffood

•
[1] Text via Museo dell'Intreccio Mediterraneo

What does it mean to practice ingenuity in times of environmental crisis?

Field trip

#wovencommunities #materialecology #criticalcrafts #rattan

•
Appearing on the image is Ibu Lidia Sumbun, with the company of Borneo Mahakarya. This trip to the Iban Longhouse in Sungai Utik took place in early 2023.

SHIMEKAZARI – JAPANESE NEW YEAR

Found knowledge

New Year is approaching and there are certain adornments that are still made in modern times in Japan to celebrate this time. Shimekazari is one such decoration, braided in lengths with rice straw, used for ritual purification in the Shintō religion to bring bountiful harvests and blessings for the new year. Each family in olden times used to make their own ropes with wishes for good fortune in the coming year. They are found hanging on front doors and gates during the first three to fifteen days of the New Year.

Traditionally, they are made with twisted rice straw, festooned with a daidai (bitter orange), fern fronds and gohei or shide (zigzag strips of white paper). Shimekazari vary from region to region, just like language.

#materialculture #ritual

•
Image credit:
1 – Meoto Iwa, two rocks in Ise Bay connected by shimenawa. Shot by Marubatsu via Wikipedia.
2 – Life in Japan

THE SUSURRATIONS OF TREES

Found knowledge
⭢ Listen to Podcast

🍃 Got very obsessed with the topic of susurration when I discovered that other than identifying the tree by the form of leaves, texture of barks, etc., the tree can be identified through the sound of leaves in the wind.

“They capture the distinctive susurrations of several species: quivering poplars, aspens that sound like rain, rattling London planes, whispering elms, the hiss of the ash, whooshing pines and the strangely silent yew.”

#languageofnature #exploringsenses #psithurism #susurration #onomatopoeia

•
Image credit:
“Influence of Leaf Physical Properties on Single-Leaf Vibrational Response to Sound” by Mengmeng Li and Jian Kang, 17 January 2020.

THE QUARTER CRAN

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Rainer GRoth
Material: Willow and hazel

“Baskets such as the quarter crans represented time and money to the carrier. The crans were baskets used to weigh and carry herring. Their measure has its origin in Scotland. The very word crann in Gaelic can mean a ‘measure for fresh herring’. Their size was regulated and standardized by government decree as a legal measure. From all points of view, it was very important that they were of a consistent size, or fishermen might be paid too little, or too much for their catch.”

Far right pictures and historical depiction © Woven Communities

EGMONDSE DRAAGMAND

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
Material: Willow and hemp

My version of the basket is improvised with a common oval base and curved body form. The original form is slightly conical with a Dutch-style base attached with a foot.

#traditionalbasket #ruralcraft

TUB SHAPE LOG / TURF BASKET

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 51 (w) x 55cm (h)
Material: Willow

#traditionalbasketry #materialculture

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🙋‍♂️

Commission for Basketclub x HAY
Material: Felt balls, Linden splint and spruce wood plate

RICE SEED BASKET

Found object: Rice seed basket made of rattan, poran bamboo potentially dyed with plant sap, wood stripe (unknown)
Findspot: Chiang Dao
Acquired by Jeanny Bouwen

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🕯

Play

1 – Torch made of damar gum wrapped in palm leaves
2 – Torch made of resin, bamboo leaves tied with raffia
3 – Torch composed of Zacaton roots soaked in fat or wax

#materiality #lettherebelight #functionalobjects #resiliency #plantfibre #materialculture

BASKETCLUB x CRAFTS COUNCIL NEDERLAND / BRIEF 🔌

Play

Material: Bell wires

#newmaterials #newfunction

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🎭

Play

View more works here.

#newfunction #performative #handfan

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🌞

Play

Works from all participants can be seen here.

#newmaterial #hexagonalplaiting

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🚲

Play

A reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave( Kerawang).

Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.

The basket is made out of curiosity with how far the technique could be expanded with its boundaries with the use of new materials and at the same time new technical parameters.

#newmaterials #materialculture #cycloidinterlacing #looping #borneo

BEKANG FROM BORNEO

Crafts Research

Image credit to British Museum: Bekang Dechur by Kelabit ethnic group

WINDMILL KNOTS

Play

Further play with square, pentagon and hexagonal construction of knots with Maori windmill knots. All materials thanks to Forces in Translation.

Forces in Translation works in the intersection of basketry, mathematics and anthropology. It is a Royal Society/Apex funded project, based in the UK.

RICE CONTAINERS BY PLAIT

Found knowledge

While looking at these unique rice containers, i’ve figured that human evolution has hinted teaching is not essential for people to learn to make effective tools. The results counter established views about how human tools and technologies come to improve from generation to generation and point to an explanation for the extraordinary success of humans as a species. Although teaching is useful, it is not essential for cultural progress because people can use reasoning and reverse engineering of existing items to work out how to make tools.

The capacity to improve the efficacy of tools and technologies from generation to generation, known as cumulative culture, is unique to humans and has driven our ecological success. It has enabled us to inhabit the toughest and most remote regions on Earth and even have a permanent base in space. The way in which our cumulative culture has boomed compared to other species however remains a mystery.

While a knowledgeable teacher clearly brings important advantages, allowing students to independently create and design is more the crucial.

1 – Doll made of palm leaf, origin: Maluku, Indonesia
2 – Bottle made of rattan, origin: Madang, Papua New Guinea
3 – Pouch made of reed, origin: Palugama, Sri Lanka
4 – Bird-shaped pouch made of rush by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
5 – Bottle made of palm leaf by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
6 – Pouch made of palm leaf, origin: Rambah, Sumatra

Images extracted from British Museum

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🍭

Play

Having so much fun making this! A further exploration with paper loops. This technique is inspired by Alison Martin's works.

#knots #coiling #fibonacci #geometry

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF ❄️

Play

My first entry as a contribution to the club. Basketclub is an incredible group of designers and artists who use basket weaving techniques to experiment with materials and contexts.

•
Second image from the left, top: The Trustees of the British Museum. Snow goggles made by the Inuit / 1613699853, bottom: L.T. Burwash / Library and Archives Canada / PA-099362

PLAYTIME

Quad node weaving, compressable. Technique from Alison Martin.

#lattice #knot #geometry

THE PRE-NOMADS

Found knowledge

“Angkat Rumah” (lifting houses) was a form of physical relocation that was a common tradition practiced in kampungs as houses predominately consisted of wood. The structure of the house which is built with pillars makes it easy to be carried around. Depending on the size of the house, bamboo sticks are tied to the beam of the house to help lift it.

In the Malay and Filipino language there’s even its own term, ‘gotong royong’ and ‘bayanihan’, meaning the “community spirit”.

TRADITIONAL WOODEN WHISK

Found knowledge

WEAVING WITH WATER

Found knowledge

One of the handful of surviving rebbelib artifacts, currently on display at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Credit: DMNS and Malaysia Design Archive

NICK CAVE: VERNACULAR PERFORMANCE

Found knowledge

An anthropomorphic structure serving as regalia for performance.

“Untitled Soundsuit” (2006) by Nick Cave. Dogwood twigs, wire, upholstery, and mannequin.

⭢ Link

NEW WORK: MUZZLE FOR CATTLE

Rural Crafts Research

Weaving origin: Portugal
Material: Esparto
Length of cord: 6m

NORTHERN LUZON HATS
Found knowledge
⭢ Link

Pictures credit to Penn Museum

HOW TO HYPNOTISE A CHICKEN

Found knowledge

⭢ Watch this

WARAZAN: JAPANESE DATA STORAGE

Found knowledge

With special knotted cords, data were stored until the 20th century on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. With rice straw, nodes were arranged according to a certain system and represent quantities in the decimal system. This made it easy to record information without knowing the characters.

A similar method is also known by the Inca Empire. There, the cords (Quipu) were used for records in the administration, with which religious, chronological and statistical data were stored. For bookkeeping, especially the understanding of the individual calculation steps and to make sense for the intermediate results.

Artefact from Okinawa, 1930

SUQUAMISH INGENUITY

Found knowledge

Suquamish basket maker, Ed Carriere explaining and performing the lost art of clam basket making.

⭢ Watch this

WOVEN WEATHER DATA

Inspiration

A non-traditional woven sculpture teaching method by Artist Nathalie Miebach based on weather data collection.

⭢ Watch this

THE ANCESTRAL FOOD OF CHINA

Found knowledge

“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.
All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.
According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.
This is to show respect to customers.

⭢ Watch the docuseries

THE HUNTER-GATHERER CULTURE

Found knowledge

The Matagi tribes are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Because of the geographical conditions, the tribes had to hunt for survival. Their lifes are sustained through hunting, firing fields, and making wooden and basketry objects.

With the introduction of guns in the 20th century, the need for group hunting for bear has diminished, leading to a decline in Matagi culture.

MUZZLES FOR CATTLE

Found knowledge

These muzzles would be fitted to cattle to prevent grazing when crossing fields with crops. The bentwood model is a particularly well made and pleasing object and probably less irritating for the cow or bull to wear than the rope one.

Explore book: The Hard Life by Jasper Morrison

WORKING WITH REDUCTION

Found knowledge

Japanese chopstick rests
Source: Takayuki Shimizu

THE MESOPOTAMIAN MARSHES OF IRAQ

Found knowledge

The photos are a fascinating account of the lives of indigenous ‘Marsh Arabs’, whose lives in the marshes of Iraq were devastated by large scale draining of their homeland by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. After the fall of the regime the arid marshes were re-flooded when people broke through the embankments holding back the water. The return of the plants, animals and community to this unique landscape speaks of the resilience of people and environment to respond and be restored after ecological destruction and crisis.

KENYAH ANCESTRAL MUSIC

Listen to Matthew Ngau Jau

The sape' is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu. These indigenous ethnic are mainly the “Kayan” and “Kenyah” groups who settle near the rivers of Central Borneo. They are known for their traditional musical instrument, jatung utang (wooden xylophone), sape' (a type of guitar), sape' bio (single stringed bass), lutong (a four- to six-string bamboo tube zither) and keringut (nose flute).

WOVEN BAMBOO HOUSE — TRADITIONAL GREEN BUILDING

Found knowledge
⭢ Link

We study material folk-cultures not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.

The film was captured in Ethiopia by Gordon Clarke of the Institute of Nomadic Architecture.

JAPANESE FOLK CULTURE

Found knowledge

Extremely fascinating functional artifact:
Insect cage made in cycad leaf

via aguni archive

ON WEAVING A BASKET

Found knowledge

“The world of our experience is, indeed, continually and endlessly coming into being around us as we weave. If it has a surface, it is like the surface of the basket: it has no ‘inside’ or ‘outside’. Mind is not above, nor nature below; rather, if we ask where mind is, it is in the weave of the surface itself. And it is within this weave that our projects of making, whatever they may be, are formulated and come to fruition. Only if we are capable of weaving, only then can we make.” — Tim Ingold

Listen to the sounds: The Growth of Artifacts by Yannick Dauby

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The blog post section claims no possession for the materials use, nor for the purpose of commercial use. Some of the contents are either depicted with the knowledge of the owner, or without, due to the unaccessible origin of the information. If you are the owner of the content, and forbid sharing, please do not hesitate to contact me. In any case, your content will always be credited, direct or indirectly.

BLOG

BASKETCLUB x SCHLOSS HOLLENEGG FOR DESIGN

Brief 🪡 Title: The Ebb and FlowMaterial: Royal blue threads and fabric paper

Growing up in a transcultural environment through my Malaysian Chinese roots, I often recall seeing blue and white porcelain items laying around in my family-run restaurant.

For this edition, I’m thrilled to reimagine basketry with a combination of hand and machine sewing techniques. There is no doubt about it, handwork is exquisite, but there’s also an understated elegance in the simplicity of a machine-made pattern, like the edge finishing pattern.

As a result, my woven ode to Chinese porcelain from my childhood.

#objectsofmemories #culturalmemoriesImage 2: China ceramic jar from the mid 15th century. Porcelain with cobalt under a transparent glaze. A Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

MADE IN — PREcIOUS WOOD

VEDMEIS: THE TRADITIONAL NORWEGIAN SPLIT WOOD BASKET

Learning trip, August 2024

MATERIAL RESEARCH: CYPRUS

Field trip, May 2024

MATERIAL RESEARCH: sardinia, IT

Field trip, Apr 2024

A VISIT TO A FISHtrap basket weaver

Woven communities

SU CIBIRU, A CULTURAL MESH

The Lost Basket Project

What does it mean to practice ingenuity in times of environmental crisis?

Field trip

#wovencommunities #materialecology #criticalcrafts #rattan

•Appearing on the image is Ibu Lidia Sumbun, with the company of Borneo Mahakarya. This trip to the Iban Longhouse in Sungai Utik took place in early 2023.

SHIMEKAZARI – JAPANESE NEW YEAR

Found knowledge

#materialculture #ritual

•Image credit:1 - Meoto Iwa, two rocks in Ise Bay connected by shimenawa. Shot by Marubatsu via Wikipedia.2 - Life in Japan

THE SUSURRATIONS OF TREESFound knowledge⭢ Listen to Podcast

#languageofnature #exploringsenses #psithurism #susurration #onomatopoeia

•Image credit:“Influence of Leaf Physical Properties on Single-Leaf Vibrational Response to Sound” by Mengmeng Li and Jian Kang, 17 January 2020.

THE QUARTER CRAN

The Lost Basket ProjectLearned from Rainer GrothMaterial: Willow and hazel

EGMONDSE DRAAGMAND

The Lost Basket ProjectLearned from Jeanny BouwenScale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)Material: Willow

TUB SHAPE LOG / TURF BASKET

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🙋‍♂️

RICE SEED BASKET

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🕯

BASKETCLUB x CRAFTS COUNCIL NEDERLAND / BRIEF 🔌

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🎭

Play

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🌞

Play

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🚲

PlayA reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave (Kerawang). Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.

BEKANG FROM BORNEO

Found knowledge

PLAYTIME

Quad node weaving, compressable. Form inspired by Alison Martin’s work.

RICE CULTURES BY PLAIT

Found knowledge

WINDMILL KNOTS

Play

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🍭

Play

BASKETCLUB / BRIEF ❄️

Play

THE PRE-NOMADS

Found knowledge

TRADITIONAL WOODEN WHISK

Found knowledge

NICK CAVE: VERNACULAR PERFORMANCE

Found knowledge

⭢ Link

WEAVE WATER

Found knowledge

NEW WORK: MUZZLE FOR CATTLE

Rural Crafts ResearchWeaving origin: PortugalMaterial: EspartoLength of cord: 6m

NORTHERN LUZON HATS

Found knowledge⭢ Link

Pictures credit to Penn Museum

How to hypnotise a chicken

Found knowledge

⭢ Watch this

WARAZAN: JAPANESE DATA STORAGE

WOVEN WEATHER DATA

Inspiration

⭢ Watch this

THE ANCESTRAL FOOD OF CHINA

Found knowledge“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.This is to show respect to customers.”

⭢ Watch the docuseries

Brief 🪡
Title: The Ebb and Flow
Material: Royal blue threads and fabric paper

#objectsofmemories #culturalmemories

Image 2: China ceramic jar from the mid 15th century. Porcelain with cobalt under a transparent glaze. A Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

•
Appearing on the image is Ibu Lidia Sumbun, with the company of Borneo Mahakarya. This trip to the Iban Longhouse in Sungai Utik took place in early 2023.

•
Image credit:
1 - Meoto Iwa, two rocks in Ise Bay connected by shimenawa. Shot by Marubatsu via Wikipedia.
2 - Life in Japan

THE SUSURRATIONS OF TREES
Found knowledge
⭢ Listen to Podcast

•
Image credit:
“Influence of Leaf Physical Properties on Single-Leaf Vibrational Response to Sound” by Mengmeng Li and Jian Kang, 17 January 2020.

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Rainer Groth
Material: Willow and hazel

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
Material: Willow

Play

A reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave (Kerawang). Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.

Rural Crafts Research

Weaving origin: Portugal
Material: Esparto
Length of cord: 6m

Found knowledge
⭢ Link

Found knowledge

“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.
All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.
According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.
This is to show respect to customers.”

Found knowledge

The Matagi tribes are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Because of the geographical conditions, the tribes had to hunt for survival. Their lifes are sustained through hunting, firing fields, and making wooden and basketry objects.

Found knowledge

These muzzles would be fitted to cattle to prevent grazing when crossing fields with crops. The bentwood model is a particularly well made and pleasing object and probably less irritating for the cow or bull to wear than the rope one.

Found knowledge

Japanese chopstick rests
Source: Takayuki Shimizu

Found knowledge
⭢ Link

Brief 🪡
Title: The Ebb and Flow
Material: Royal blue threads and fabric paper

•
Appearing on the image is Ibu Lidia Sumbun, with the company of Borneo Mahakarya. This trip to the Iban Longhouse in Sungai Utik took place in early 2023.

#materialculture #ritual

•
Image credit:
1 – Meoto Iwa, two rocks in Ise Bay connected by shimenawa. Shot by Marubatsu via Wikipedia.
2 – Life in Japan

Found knowledge
⭢ Listen to Podcast

•
Image credit:
“Influence of Leaf Physical Properties on Single-Leaf Vibrational Response to Sound” by Mengmeng Li and Jian Kang, 17 January 2020.

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Rainer GRoth
Material: Willow and hazel

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
Material: Willow and hemp

The Lost Basket Project

Learned from Jeanny Bouwen
Scale: 51 (w) x 55cm (h)
Material: Willow