Portable Craft: Chinese Baskets and Carrying Containers

Portable Craft: Chinese Baskets and Carrying Containers

One of the earliest crafts known to mankind, the near universal art of basketmaking has evolved globally utilizing locally available organic materials. In China, basketry commenced during the Neolithic period (7000–1700 BCE) to fulfill the need for containers necessary for food gathering and storage. Since then, Chinese craftspeople have split and woven bamboo, reeds, and rattan to craft basketry. Mostly utilized by rural populations in northern China, baskets in this region appear sturdy, practical, and unadorned; while in central and southern China in addition to utilitarian forms, basketry is often exquisitely embellished with materials such as wood, metal, and lacquer—another ancient Chinese art form. Baskets range in size and form—from sewing baskets and hat containers to food carrying baskets. Many baskets display hand painted motifs and auspicious symbols. Some “baskets” are not woven at all, rather they are entirely crafted from wood and lacquered, mimicking the form of a basket, while demonstrating the ingenuity of Chinese carrying containers.

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Carrying baskets  19th century–early 20th century
Zhejiang Province, China
bamboo, wood, lacquer
Collection of Sally Yu Leung
L2025.0401.018a,b, .020a,b