Basket
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- This article is about the physical container. For other meanings, see Basket (disambiguation).
A basket is a woven container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, often made of willow. [link]]. The top is either left open or the basket may be fitted with a lid.
Historical usage
Wood, bamboo, wheat, other grasses, rushes, twigs, osiers or wicker are often used to make baskets, but they are also made today out of plastic. The first baskets were woven by gatherers to collect fruits, grains, nuts and other edible plant materials to be brought back and eaten, as well as for holding fish by early fishing peoples. A creel is a basket made especially to hold fish.The plant life available in a region affects the choice of material, which in turn influences the weaving technique, and the nature of the resulting basket. Rattan and other members of the Arecaceae or palm tree family, the thin grasses of temperate regions, and broad-leaved tropical bromeliads each require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket.
Although baskets were traditionally created to serve a utilitarian rather than an aesthetic purpose, the practice of basket making has evolved into an art in its own right. Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide choice of colors, materials, sizes, patterns and details.
The carrying of a basket on one's head, particularly by rural women, has long been practiced. Representations of this in Ancient Greek art are called Canephorae.
Modern usage
In modern usage, baskets are chosen chiefly for decorative purposes.Easter baskets are used to collect or hold treats for Easter. These baskets are normally made of plastic. Frequently they are not actually woven, but have a weave-like pattern imprinted on a plastic container.
Gift baskets are used to present items such as fruit, wine, and flowers. Some baskets are used to cradle bottles of red wine to assist pouring.
Baskets made out of crystal glass are manufactured both for decorative and utility purposes.
Hot air balloons are commonly equipped with baskets for carrying the operator and passengers.
As a demonstration of contortionism, a basket containing a human may be repeatedly pierced with swords. The human survives through skill in avoiding the swords.
Figurative and literary usage
The phrase To hell in a handbasket means to rapidly deteriorate. The origin of this use is unclear.Gallery of baskets
See also
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