Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: HANDIWORK (01/14/21)
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TITLE: The Craft From Birds | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sue Botte
01/20/21 -
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The oldest known basket had been unearthed in Faiyum in Upper Egypt. Radiocarbon dating dates it to be between 10 000 and 12 000 years old. Basketry, to be precise, weaved baskets, is man’s most ancient craft…made by someone’s hands.
With five different varieties of baskets to weave, there certainly were no idle hands in the house. Materials had to be collected at different times in the season, then it had to be dried, but some, not too dry. Different materials used for different types of baskets, such as round reed for the coiled basket; flat oval reed to weave the splint basket. Fibre rush for the twined-weaver basket. Raffia, natural or dyed was used for the coiled and twined-weaver basket. Cord, rope, yarn, jute, sisal and linen was used for the coiled (core, weaver) wicker- and twined baskets.
Virginia creeper, sea grass, cornhusks, and many other materials; even branches from the willow tree, were used by the weaver. Different types of weaving includes plain weave, wicker, twining, coiling and splint weave. It seemed twill weave and hexagonal plaiting weave pattern evolved over time. The splint basket, to this day is the favourite among farmers, households and used as a pack-basket by guides.
Not only were baskets made from the above-mentioned materials, but a number of household items, such as a petate, which is a mat plaited from Yucca or palm leaves were made as well. Weaved mats was common in most household as it had several functions. It served as a covering, a wall hanging, to designate a specific area, such as a place where someone sleeps.
From weaving baskets, basketry, to weaving on a loom, the craft by man, that clothed man.
Weaving on a loom is the process of crossing threads or spun cotton (yarn), etc. over and under each other using a shuttle to form fabric or cloth. Yarn was spun mainly from fleece in Biblical times.
Weaving of fabric has its origins in basketry. The essential difference in basketry and weaving cloth or fabric is in the mechanism of the loom. The loom hold taut the lengthwise strands, called the warp; crosswise strands, called weft, were woven in. The threads were weaved crosswise by human hands.
Incidentally, to prevent fraying different types of knots were made of the excess thread and yarn alongside the edges of the hand-loomed fabrics resulting in decorative fringes on bath-towels, shawls and veils, called Macramé.
The earliest or oldest depiction of a loom is on a pottery dish dated c. 4400 B.C found in a tomb in Egypt.
In China, a more complex loom for weaving silk in intricate patterns developed between 1766 B.C. and 1122 B.C.
When I read Proverbs 31 v 19, I read about the spindle and distaff. Proverbs 31 v 22; she maketh herself coverings of tapestries… and Proverbs 31 v 24, she maketh fine linen and selleth it…
Although not specifically mentioned, surely, the woman of Proverbs 31 must have had several looms to weave the spun yarn into fabric to clothe her household and had stock to sell. Coverings of tapestries are anything from a wall hanging to a mat or carpet on the floor, household items.
I found the Seamless Robe of Christ quite intriguing. For the robe to be seamless, the fabric had to be wide enough, wrist to wrist, and long enough from neck to ankle; weaved at the same time. The loom had to be upright (horizontal) and in a capital T-shape, no so?
On further research about the Seamless Robe of Christ I found, to my surprise, that Seamless garments was nothing special in ancient Egypt. A loom, which appeared to be vertical, was found in Chnem Hotep’s tomb at Bani Hasan, Egypt. In the tomb of Mekhet-Re (c. 2020 B.C) from Deir-el-Bahri (Egypt), a horizontal loom was found with a few other items relating to weaving and spinning.
By making small adjustments to the loom different types of weaves resulted. The plain weave, basket weave (a variation of the plain weave), Monk’s weave, Hopsacking weave, satin weave, herringbone twill weave and many others.
I believe weaving started by some ancient woman, who watched a weaverbird and other birds weaving its nest. With a few adjustments a basket was weaved; a new craft was born from nature.
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A Study.
Word count 735
Reader’s Digest Word Power Dictionary page 76 & 1308 respectively
Reader’s Digest Craft and Hobbies pages 54 – 93
Researchgate.net
e-Sword
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