THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BASKETS AND BASKETRY

A knowing appreciation of basketry past and present, with a distinct British orientation (""The design of modern basketware in the United Kingdom is, in general, poor""). Valued for lightness and strength, baskets rarely last more than 200 years but even the simplest, such as the increasingly available Chinese twined work baskets, can have surprising appeal. Wright outlines the pros and cons of several materials, considers five basic techniques, and, after selective glances at international examples, discusses the particulars of tools, bases, weaves, borders, ties, and trimmings. The illustrations make it all accessible: six views of an Appalachian hen basket, drawings of work in different stages of completion, full-color photographs of pieces as different as plain rush baskets and a striking coiled flour basket from Tangier.