A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers, and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane.
Sites in the Middle East show that weaving techniques were used to make mats, and possibly also baskets, circa 8000 BCE.
Baskets were originally designed as multi-purpose vessels to carry and store materials and to keep stray items about the home.
Rattan and other members of the Arecaceae or palm tree family, the thin grasses of temperate regions, and broad-leaved tropical bromeliads each require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket.
Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide choice of colors, materials, sizes, patterns, and details.