Artist of the Week

7th grader, Na'Quisha Kelley, is Hudson K-8 student of the week. Na'Quisha (pictured above) demonstrated her mastery of the fundamental skill of basket weaving as she worked diligently at weaving her basket (pictured at the bottom) from colored construction paper. While basket weaving is one of the widest spread crafts in the history of any human civilization it is hard to say just how old the craft is because natural materials like wood, grass, and animal remains decay naturally and constantly. So without proper preservation, much of the history of basket making has been lost and is simply speculated upon.

The oldest known baskets have been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, earlier than any established dates for archeological finds of pottery, and were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt.

Other baskets have been discovered in the Middle East that are up to 7,000 years old. However, baskets seldom survive, as they are made from perishable materials. The most common evidence of a knowledge of basketry is an imprint of the weave on fragments of clay pots, formed by packing clay on the walls of the basket and firing.



 

South Africa is famous for its tightly woven Zulu baskets( shown above).  These hand woven African baskets are a true art form and are functional, beautiful and decorative as well as a testament to fine weaving skills.  Zulu baskets are considered some of the most collectable baskets in the world.  Master Zulu weavers are published and collected worldwide. Master Zulu weavers are published and collected worldwide.