Science and Art Thai Craftsmanship |113
Bamboo Basketry
Thai Folk Arts and Crafts
Bamboo basketry is a traditional Thai craft, despite the fact that its main purpose of
creativity does not focus on beauty, but functions. The simple shapes and motifs created by the
two hands are filled with high artistic values, not inferior to any other types of handicrafts.
Basketry is one of the appliances that bring bamboo, rattan, cumin, palm leaf, Liphao
(Lygodium), or other materials to “Chak” (cutting materials into strips), “Tok” (thin bamboo
strips) and “San” (weaving materials). Then, the strips are intertwined up-and-down vertically
and horizontally, or they could be intertwined in diagonal or various shapes according to the
uses. The development of bamboo woven basketry is originated from a demand in household
appliances and agricultural tools which support people’s living in an agricultural society close to
nature, such as making Chalom (round bamboo basket), Krabung, Takra. Moreover, bamboo
is also easily to find, thus it helps reduce the purchasing costs.
Bamboo processing is one of the weaving wisdom. In general, the thick bamboo is cut
into pieces according to the length of the strips to weave. Craftsmen cut the materials into strips
and make them thin to suit various utensils. There are various types of strips depending on the
appliances, such as Tok Phew, a long flat line used to weave container requiring durableness,
such as baskets or water traps which have to be immersed in water for a long time; Tok Phlai,
a small round strip to weave the area close to the mouth of the container; and Tok Saphai,
a strip to weave a stripe for chaining the nose of cattle as it is small, soft and flat, cut from Phai
Si Sook (spiny bamboo) or Mai Sang (male bamboo), in a size of coffee straw.
• “Lai Khat” (Intertwined pattern)
is a basic design of basketry.
It is a way to create strong
intertwinement between each
of strips horizontally and
vertically.