In respect to the materials employed, besides those specified as belonging to the ruder nations, there are many which are equally the product of nature and art. Twigs, branches, straw, and whalebone, are all of the number. The natives of some parts of South America make baskets simply of rushes, so closely interwoven as to hold water, and thousands of them are annually sold in the Spanish provinces. The Caffres and Hottentots are alike skilful with the roots of piano. Thus it does not belong to Euro peans to rival an uncivilized tribe in the exercise of a simple art. But of all materials, osiers or willows are in most general use.
Osiers, employed for basket-making, are either taken entire, cut from the root, split asunder, or stripped of their bark, according to the work to produced ; but in the latter case, they are previously soaked in water. The stripping is performed by drawing the willows through an iron-edged imple ment called brakes, which removes the bark, and the willows are then cleaned, so far as necessary, by the manual operation of a sharp knife. Next they are exposed to the sun and air, and afterwards placed ilia dry situation. But it is not less necessary to preserve willows with their bark in the same manner, for nothing can be more injurious than the humidity inherent in the plant ; and previous to use, they must be soaked some days in water also. The barked or white osier is then divided into bundles or faggots according to size; the larger being reserved to form the strong work in the skeleton of the basket, and the smaller for weaving the bottom and sides. Should the latter be applied to ordinary work, they are taken whole, but for implements of slight and finer texture, each osier is divided into splits and skains ; which names denote the different degrees of size to which they are reduced. Splits are osiers cleft into four parts, by means of a particular implement employed for that purpose, consisting of two edge tools placed at right angles, whereby the rod is longitudinally divided down the pith. These are next drawn through an implement resembling the common spoke-shave, keeping the grain of the split next the wood or stock of the shave, while the pith is pre. sented to the edge of the iron, which is set in an oblique direction to the Wood : And in order to bring the split into a shape still more regular, it is passed through another implement called an upright; consisting of a flat piece of steel, each end of which is fashioned into a cutting edge, like that of an ordinary chisel. The flat is bent round, so that the two edges approach each other at a greater or less interval by means of regulating screws, and the whole is fixed in a handle. By passing the splits between the two edges, they are reduced to skeins, the thickness of which is determined by the interval between the edges of the tool. All the implements
required by a basket-maker are few and simple : they consist, besides the preceding, of knives, bodkins and drills for boring, leads for keeping the work steady while in process, and where it is of small dimen sions, a heavy piece of iron, called a beater, which is employed to beat the basket close as it is augment ed. Thus a basket-maker has this great advantage over many other artificers, that he can establish him self in his profession at die most inconsiderable ex pence either for tools or materials.
An ordinary basket is made by preparinf the re quisite number of osiers, and preserving their length considerably greater than that of the finished work.
They are ranged in pain on the floor parallel to each other, at small intervals, in the direction of the longer diameter of the basket ; and this may be call ed the woof, for, as we have said, basket work is lite rally a web.. These parallel rods are then crossed at right angles by two of the largest osiers, with the thick ends towards the workman, who places his foot upon them ; and weaving each alternately over and under the parallel pieces first laid down, they are by that means confined in their places. The whole now forms what is technically called the slat or slate, which is the foundation of the basket. Next, the long end of one of the two rods is taken, and wove under and over the pairs of short ends all round the bottom, until the whole be wove in. The same is done with the other rod; and then additional long osiers are also wove in, until the bottom be of sufficient size, and the woof be occupied by them. Thus the bottom, or foundation on which the super structure is to be raised, is finished; and this latter part is accomplished by sharpening the large ends of as many long and stout osiers as may be necessary to form the ribs or skeleton. These are forced or plaited between the rods of the bottom, from the edge towards the centre, and are turned up in the direction of the sides ; then other rods are wove in and out between each of them, until the basket is raised to the intended height, or, more correctly speaking, the depth it is to receive. The edge or brim is finished by turning down the perpendicular ends of the ribs, now protruding and standing up over each other, whereby the whole are firmly and compactly united. A handle is adapted to the work by forcing two or three osiers. sharpened at the end, , and cut to the requisite length, down the weaving of the sides, close together ; and they are pinned fast, about two inches from the brim, in order that the handle, when completed, may be retained in its pro per position. The osiers are then either bound or plaited, in such fashion as pleases the taste of the artist.