Basket weaving originated in Africa over eight thousand years ago. According to modern data, the first baskets were made in Ancient Egypt and looked like modern baskets for storage vegetables and fruits.
Wickerwork has been used by humans for thousands of years. In ancient times, the roofs of houses, doors, fences, pieces of furniture and other products used in everyday life were woven from the vine. Baskets were used not only as modern handbags, but also in mining, in the manufacture of wood and clothing, during military campaigns and travel.
A wicker basket a couple of hundred years ago could be used to judge the income of a family. Peasants, as a rule, used them for their intended purpose: to carry clothes and products. The appearance of such items was unprepossessing, at best they were decorated with a simple ornament from the same vine. In contrast, a basket for animals in wealthy families could be decorated with jewelry, expensive fabrics and other decorative elements. In everyday life, the nobles used small baskets, which had almost no practical value.
If a few centuries ago our ancestors used wicker products mainly in the household economy, today they are used to decorate souvenirs, in interior design, as “natural” accessories for storing and transporting food. For example, hand-made vases are often used by confectionery factories to decorate gift boxes. Braided elements can often be found in modern furniture, decorative compositions and many other products.
As for hand baskets, they are still considered an excellent tool for transporting a wide variety of goods. Ripe fruits, mushrooms and berries go well with wicker edging, and picnic baskets can be bought at almost any supermarket.
One of the most important advantages of such products is their ecological component. Natural vines are able to preserve the original form of the gifts of nature, and some food products, such as bread, are stored much longer in baskets than in plastic bags and plastic containers that are common today. Therefore, no matter how much time has passed, the popularity of vine products is unlikely to ever come to naught, because nothing can argue with the creation of nature, even the most modern technologies.
