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Chapter One. The Material Background |
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materials and techniques in basketry |
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The raw materials for basket-making were bamboo and various kinds of cane, and the instruments employed were dao, knife, and, in fine basketry techniques, a spike of bone or metal. Twill and check patterns were the most frequent for mats and the more closely woven baskets, but the Konyaks were also expert in an open-lattice technique in which a hexagonal design was worked on the weft in three directions. If a basket was needed for immediate use, as, for instance, for the transport of a chicken, a Konyak was able to make a rough receptacle in a surprisingly short time. |
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There were no professional basket-makers among the Konyaks, but every man was able to produce the baskets and mats required by his own household. Whenever there was a lull in agricultural activities, one would find the men sitting on the verandas of bachelors' halls or dwelling houses engaged in making baskets. |
