Itinerant basket vendor from Central Luzon Photograph courtesy of Alex Maskara T he Philippines have long been a source of basketware. For quite sometime, the baskets used for containers for indoor plants in the US are invariably made in the Philippines. However, indoor plant containers are not representatives of Philippine basketry.
Philippine baskets are as varied as the country's multi-faceted heritage and cultural background.
Each region, perhaps even each island has its own traditional form of basket making which is a part of everyday life. Baskets are being used by street vendors peddling their wares, by fishermen snaring their catch, by travelers transporting their possessions or by farmers collecting their produce. In the Philippines, there are more than thirty common natural materials that may be used for basketry with assorted properties and characteristics. Present day weavers may combine these different materials resulting in baskets of pure artistry - whether they are used for simple household chores or for finely finished gift items. In particular, we have a substantial collection of household baskets from the Bontoc province.