The willow plant is said to have
mystical and healing powers in addition to religious significance. Willow rods or withies
have been used for basketry for centuries. These days it finds uses as
garden structures,
bower seats, furniture and
sculpture or environmental
installations. Willow
even has uses as
erosion control
and biomass fuel. The active
agent in its bark, salicin, has been
recognized for its medicinal value since the first century. Other powerful
properties of
"willow
water" are also known.
Willow baskets can be woven in
wickerwork designs with rods or
skeins (split rods) in the European tradition.
Willow may also be used as the core element in coiled
baskets in the tradition of the South Western Indians.
Several varieties of
willow are used for basketry. Most are from the Salix family, with
Desert Willow Chilopsis
linearis sometimes finding use as the core rod in coiled baskets. Salix purpurea
or Purple willow is one of the more common basketry willow varieties.
A number of artists are actively
involved in willow production and basketry today.
Katherine Lewis is a
willow basketmaker located in the Skagit Valley of Washington State. She has a
small farm named Dunbar Gardens where she grows much of the willow used in her
baskets. She offers finished baskets, willow basketry supplies, willow basketry
workshops and willow basket making demonstrations.
Bonnie Gale offers a wide selection of
finished baskets, tools, patterns, kits.
The English Basketry Willows website includes informative articles like
Making Willow Cuttings
and Planting of Willow Cuttings. Bonnie teaches willow
workshops on a regular basis.
Heather Sanft of Nova Scotia makes
traditional willow baskets, eel pots, wattle fences, living fences and Irish Coracles.
Mary Butcher is a British
basketmaker and internationally known teacher of willow basketry. Mary travels widely to
teach and her work is exhibited in shows around the globe. A large variety of
willow basketry workshops
offered in the UK are listed on the Basketmakers Association site.
View a selection of
video clips about willow basketry from mostly French sources.
The Bluestem Nursery
site offers an explanation of the
Latin
names of willow varieties and a
basketmaking glossary is available.
Over the next few weeks I will be
adding a series of articles on willow products, baskets, basketmakers, cultivation and
supply sources. If you have information to add, please post your comment to the bulletin board.
Come and Join
in the BasketMakers
Forum. Lots of friendly basketweavers are gathered there. Click
on "Guest"
to enter and read-only or join if you want to post (it's free).
Here is a list of some of the most recent Topics being discussed:
Copyright
© 1998-2010
Susi Nuss. All rights reserved.
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