Splint Baskets

 


If I had to choose just one artefact to illustrate a range of practical approaches to natural materials, then the splint basket would have to be it !

It's a very traditional construction, most notably associated with makers in Devon.  Alas, it is now an endangered species, although happily, a couple of very accomplished makers are still active in stalling its demise - it's certainly worth searching them out.

These two I made from materials sourced in the wood.  Perhaps not ultra-traditional, but a pragmatic selection of what I have available.  The bases are made of ash, the splints of Douglas fir and the steam-bent bands and handles are made from Orford cedar (an unusual but beautiful timber to work with).

In future posts I'll be taking a closer look at their construction, looking at the ecology of their materials and illustrating the associated techniques (material-actions) that go into their making. 

These subsequent blog posts will run alongside a new discreet page:  'A Classification of Material Actions', which I'm intending to be a handy and user-friendly edition of a taxonomy I worked on some years ago.

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