Photograph by Pat Pollard.
Basket makers pay boundless respect to their material.
They unanimously share the concept that a successful basket integrates the natural beauty of bamboo with its form, texture, and overall balance. Although craftsmanship is often handed down in hereditary succession, a master basket maker may accept outside novices. In the most conservative manner of apprenticeship, though not common today, novices live with their master and merely sweep his garden for months before being allowed to touch any bamboo. When finally allowed to weave, the novices may be asked to imitate a Chinese-model basket. Studying from the old masterpieces of Chinese origin is still considered to be the essential way not only to acquire varieties of refined techniques but also to develop an aesthetic sensibility.