The Armour Archive

Ive become increasingly interested in period baskets...High medieval through renaissance~colonial.

Please share your thoughts....

--types of woods or reeds, grasses used
--flat or round
--types of woven structure
--hinges for tops?
--handles?
--curious details youve spotted...

http://larsdatter.com/baskets.htm contains my thoughts on the matter.

From what I've looked at, it appears that basketweaving was a highly developed art throughout the period and pretty much all weaves we normally encounter today are represented (I wouldn't exclude the possibility that some artistic techniques indeed are new, but I have yet to see anything in the European basketry tradition I haven't seen on some ancient or medieval image).

Obviously, the fashionable African dyed-grass baskets did not exist, Equally, the popular rattan reeds sold for basketry today were not in use then. Other than that, though, I've seen or read of papyrus, various other reeds, straw, and wicker, the latter untreated, peeled or split.

Shapes seem to have been dictated largely by local tradition. I was convinced for a long time that the 'Little Red Riding Hood' basket with a single large hoop handle was non-period, but was proved wrong. Still, small handles on the edge seem to have been more common. I do a Mediterranean persona c. 1180, so for me it's cylindrical or conical baskets with twin handles that you can tie a carrying sling to. Some depictions I've seen also look like they're woven from grass or straw plaits, but I'm not 100% confident on that.