Hunters weaving a basket in jungles of Arunachal Pradesh

WildFilmsIndia 2014-08-12

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A man making / weaving a bamboo basket in Arunachal Pradesh in North East India. The basket is then used to carry meat, wrapped in leaves, through the forest. Arunachal Pradesh has a vibrant craft tradition and every tribe excels in craftsmanship. Cane and bamboo is an important craft of this area, and the workmanship is of a very high order. Many tribesmen make their own hats, which are often extremely decorative, adorned with the beaks and feathers of birds or with tufts of hair dyed red. They also make varieties of baskets, bags and other containers. There is a wide range of cane belts, woven and plain, and in northern Subansiri, tribals have even elaborately woven brassieres of cane and fibre.

Cane and bamboo is strictly men's craft and the most commonly made objects are baskets for storing ad carrying paddy, fuel and water, vessels for preparing local liquor, rice plates, bows and arrows, headgear, mats, shoulder bags, etc. ornaments and necklaces made of fine strips of bamboo and grass are also popular. Burnt pokerwork too is executed on bamboo articles. The Bangnis, Apatanis, Hill Miris and Adis are expert workers in cane and bamboo. They make beautiful baskets, bags, hats and even jewellery that speak eloquently of their skill. The Monpas and Sherdukpens do make the use of bamboo but not to the extent as in other cultural areas. Bamboo is used for basketry. Basket making is a major craft in these areas. They produce baskets, grain holders, rice beer containers, haversacks, food plates, etc. from bamboo.

Considering function i.e. the utility as the basis, the whole range of basketry taken into consideration, can be conveniently classified into the following broad divisions:

1. Carrying basket
2. Storage basket
3. Receptacle
4. Straining basket
5. Decorative basket
6. Fishing basket
7. Mat
8. Miscellaneous objects

Basket weaving (also basketry, basket making, or basketmaking) is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers. Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape. Examples include pine straw, stems, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, and wood. The indigenous peoples and the native and aboriginal tribes are renowned for their basket-weaving techniques. These baskets may then be traded for goods but may also be used for religious ceremonies.

While basket weaving is one of the widest spread crafts in the history of any human civilization, it is hard to say just how old the craft is because natural materials like wood, grass, and animal remains decay naturally and constantly. So without proper preservation, much of the history of basket making has been lost and is simply speculated upon. The oldest known baskets have been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, earlier than any established dates for archeological finds of pottery, and were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt. Other baskets have been discovered in the Middle East that are up to 7,000 years old. However, baskets seldom survive, as they are made from perishable materials. The most common evidence of a knowledge of basketry is an imprint of the weave on fragments of clay pots, formed by packing clay on the walls of the basket and firing. During the Industrial Revolution, baskets were used in factories, and for packing and deliveries. Wicker furniture became fashionable in Victorian society.

Source: Wikipedia & http://ignca.nic.in/craft151.htm

This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of tens of thousands of hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM 1080i High Definition, HDV and XDCAM. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Reach us at wfi @ vsnl.com and [email protected].

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