A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, often made of willow. [1]. The top is either left open or the basket may be fitted with a lid.
The plant life available in a region affects the choice of material, which in turn influences the weaving technique. Rattan and other members of the Arecaceae or palm tree family, the thin grasses of temperate regions, and broad-leaved tropical bromeliads each require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket.
Although baskets were probably created to serve a utilitarian rather than an aesthetic purpose, the practice of basket making has evolved into an art. Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide choice of colors, materials, sizes, patterns, and details.
Archaeological sites in the Middle East show that weaving techniques were used to make mats and possibly also baskets, circa 8 000 BC[citation needed]. Baskets made with interwoven techniques were common at 3 000 BC.
The carrying of a basket on the head, particularly by rural women, has long been practiced. Representations of this in Ancient Greek art are called Canephorae.
Overturned woven baskets are used drummed by the Tohono O'odham to accompany songs (Zepeda 1995, p. 89).
