Mummy's Wrap

Of the many tools needed to create a basket, none are as important as the body of the basket maker (Wendrich, 1999; 300). It is the ethno-archaeological study done by Wendrich that allows Egyptologists to understand more fully how a body works when a person is making a basket. Everything a basket maker does is done to aid the making of a basket, how they sit, how their hands are placed, where they rest their knees and arms, everything done to ease the basket making process (Wendrich, 1999; 341). The hands are constantly used, as are the feet to apply tension or to stabilize things when the hands are absent from any given task (Wendrich, 1999; 345). The eyes never stray from the work for long, as the focus is needed on making the basket as sturdy as possible (Wendrich, 1999; 393).

Next to the body of the basket maker, the knife is perhaps the most important and widely used tool in a basket maker’s arsenal (Wendrich, 1999; 392). Knives are used throughout preproduction and production of a basket. Often, specific types of knives are used in the procurement of certain materials for basketry, though any sharp knife would do the job nicely. Throughout the production of a basket, the knife would be used to cut string or thread, or even inconsistencies in the basket’s weave (Wendrich, 1999; 286).

There are other tools that were used in the production of basketry in addition to the basket maker’s body and the knife, but these additional tools were not as commonly used. The awl was also used and could have been made of anything, so long as it was sharp enough to pierce through some of the tough materials used in basketry. With this in mind, it makes sense the awls commonly found in association with basketry production are actually the thorn-like spikes that protrude from the base of the date-palm leaf stems (Wendrich, 1999; 279). Needles were usually long, approximately 10.5 cm and flat with a looped end which was secured with lashing (Wendrich, 1999; 300-1). The use of needles in the making of coiled basketry was not necessary, but they were used on occasion (Wendrich, 1999; 306).

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That's a Wrap!

Tags: Ancient Egypt, ancient egypt basket, ancient egypt basketry, ancient egypt baskets, ancient egyptian basket, ancient egyptian basketry, ancient egyptian baskets, basket, basketry, basketry through time, basketry weaving, baskets, changes in basketry

This entry was posted by Page Strong on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 at 09:30 and is filed under Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Basketry, Egyptology, Every Day Life, Everyday Life, Science/Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.