National Basketry Organization, Inc. | PO Box 1524 | Gloucester, MA 01931-1524 USA | 617.863.0366Lois Walpole: Toxic Basketry
One of the recent panels held during Virtually Woven included a conversation around the use of recycled materials and the responsible sourcing of other materials, dyes, etc. “These are people who are also genuinely concerned about the environment… Read More
Charleston Sweetgrass Basket Tradition Fights for Survival
In an article for “The State” newspaper, Caitlin Bird examines how, “Today, these makers, who call themselves sewers, speak of a discouraging reality intertwined with a personal quest to keep a Gullah tradition alive.” (Photo of Betty Manigault).
Willow Resource Guide
The Winter 2015 issue of the NBO Magazine included a resource guide for willow materials. Download this free resource, and visit our online shop to purchase a copy of this special issue! Download your copy of the resource… Read More
Selecting a White Oak Tree for Basketry
Finding the right tree is not easy, but time spent locating a good one pays off when the splitting begins. The best tree for splints is found in hollows, in rich bottomland soil or the lower part of… Read More
Rattan: Supply Down, Prices Up…
Global economic forces have created a worldwide shortage of rattan, pushing prices ever higher. Wholesale prices have doubled in the United States. That increase, combined with higher shipping costs, has shown up in higher prices for all reed and some smaller sizes are being rationed by retailers.
Warazan ~ Knotted & Woven Characters from Japan’s Ryukyu Islands
For many years, the population of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands noted numerical values, calculation results, enumerations, and more with knotted cords from rice straw. Even after World War II, fishermen, moneylenders and simple merchant were observed working with these cords of rice straw.Warazan were… Read More
Basket Reed: Where It Comes From, How It’s Produced
There are between 550 and 600 species of rattan, which can be found in rainforest areas from South China to Australia and Fiji to West Africa and Madagascar. Basket reed is produced from the core of this thorny… Read More
