Basketry in Bali

Beautiful Bali

Beautiful Bali

If there’s one place on the planet where basketry techniques and basket making is still integral to the culture, it’s Bali, Indonesia.
But there is also the exquisite coiled weaving with the profuse and wild “ata” vine, which is used to produce everything from restaurant napkin holders, to multi-tiered lunch containers, to betel nut chewing kits.

Ata vine

Ata vine

The weaving strands, sized by pulling them through bottle cap holes of diminishing diameter, are wound around the thick, uncut vine core, and secured to the previous row using an awl; the technique, as well as the patterns, are similar to those used by traditional indigenous cultures here in the U.S.

weaver

weaver

weavers

weavers

 

 

IMG_2519

 

 

 

 

Baskets are everywhere! There are the overturned baskets housing and feeding roosters between cockfights, and the closed baskets with shoulder straps for transporting them on your motorcycle to the fight.

Chicken carriers

Cock containers

Chicken transport

Chicken transport

 

Temple bag

Temple offering

There are the woven palm leaf pockets used for offerings of steamed rice, and the large offering baskets essential for multiple holiday temple offerings, and for wedding gifts.

Baskets

Baskets

Baskets

Baskets

Baskets

Baskets

Then there are the hexagonal open-weave bushel baskets for commercial use which hold fruits and vegetables in every farmer’s market, and the woven plates, covered by a disposable banana leaf, used for meals.

The Author learning a new technique

The Author learning a new technique

 

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