Basket
- This article is about the physical container. For other meanings, see Basket (disambiguation).
In contrast to Weaving, in the making of baskets flexible fibers are interwoven with their complementary rigid fibers.
The kinds of plant life available in a region will affect an ethnic group's choices in material, as well as influencing the technique and therefore the texture of the basket. Rattan and other members of the Arecaceae or palm tree family, for instance, require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket from the thin grasses of temperate regions, as do other plants of the tropics with their characteristic broad leaves (bromeliads, for instance).
Although baskets have always been created to serve a utilitarian rather than an aesthetic purpose, the practice of basket making has evolved into an Art in its own right. Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide variety of colors, materials, sizes, patterns and details to choose from.
Archaeological sites in the Middle East show that weaving techniques were used to make mats and possibly also baskets, circa 8 000 BC. Baskets made with several interwoven techniques were common at 3 000 BC.