Different types of Material for Wicker Baskets

Here are some of the most widely used wicker materials:

Wicker is a weaving method where flexible natural material is woven by twisting, braiding, coiling etc. This technique has been in use since centuries- evidence of this technique was even found in some Egyptian tombs as well. Wicker is popular because it looks great, is light weight, durable and eco-friendly.  There are different materials used as wicker:

1. Rattan/ Cane: Rattan is the plant; cane is the stem which is used in weaving. Cane is used either as a whole stem or split into thinner strands for making furniture or smaller articles, or as a peel of the outer bark for making webbed sheets. Cane is strong and smooth.

 

2. Willow: Willow is similar to cane but softer and shinier. It grows in colder places like Jammu & Kashmir. It looks like cane but is softer and shinier.

 

3. Bamboo: Bamboo is a plant from the grass family like cane. It is hollow in the middle although the stalk is thicker than cane. It is generally slivered to make products. The slivers are less flexible than cane and are more brittle. However, it is lighter than cane. It is not shiny like cane or willow.

 

4. Hyacinth: Hyacinth are 2-3 ft grass growing in water bodies. The stalk is harvested and dried and then used for weaving. The stalk is pretty soft and very spongy and flexible. It is braided mostly as a whole stalk either as it is or after flattening it. It is a strong fiber, and flexible as well.

 

5. Kauna: Kauna is also a water reed like water hyacinth, however it grows up to a height of 6 ft. In India, it is mostly found in Manipur. It is less fleshy or spongy than water hyacinth. It is lighter in shade than hyacinth. Surface is more plastic like than hyacinth. Since the grass is stiffer, the products made are also stiffer than ones made from hyacinth

 

6. Sabai: Sabai is another form of wild grass, generally found in West Bengal and Orissa. The strands are thinner than kauna and hyacinth. So they are used for weaving, not as a single blade of grass like the two, but a bunch of grass, either braided or coiled together. However, it is much easily dyeable as well compared to kauna and hyacinth.

 

7. Moonj: Moonj is another grass found in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab. One portion of the grass is used as stuffing, the other is used as to cover the stuffing. Weaving is done by coiling technique. The grass is easily dyeable.

 

8. Banana Fiber: It is made from the stem of the banana tree. The stem pieces are passed through a machine, which disintegrates the stem to make it into thin fiber. It is then dried to become thread like. The weaving is subsequently done by braiding or coiling. 

 

Material	Strength	Elasticity	Sturdiness
Cane	High	Moderate	High
Willow	High	Moderate	High
Bamboo	Low	Low	High
Hyacinth	High	High	Low
Kauna	High	High	Moderate
Sabai	High	High	Low
Moonj	High	High	Low
Banana Fiber	High	High	Low

 

In addition, basketry is even done with synthetic wicker these days. Seagrass from some coastal regions is also used. Corn husk, palm leaf, elephant grass are other types of grass. Basically, every region has their own kind of such grasses and natural fiber for basketry. The ones mentioned above are more popular from the Indian context.

You can check wicker baskets by Asama which are made from water hyacinth or bamboo.