Handmade warmth, weaving time: craftsmen tell the story behind the basket

"The first step in weaving a basket is to understand rattan." Master Li can always pick out the most suitable rattan from the piles of raw materials at a glance. After the rainy season every year, he will follow the rattan pickers to the mountains to select materials, "You have to choose old rattan on the sunny slope, with an amber skin, and it feels warm and not astringent." Fresh rattan must first be soaked in mountain spring water for three days to fade away the greenness; then smoked with pine needles to shape it. This step is the most patient test. If the fire is too fast, it will crack, and if it is too slow, it will not be fixed. He always said: "Rattan is like people, you have to follow your temper and don't rush."

The weaving techniques are the wisdom passed down by the older generation. Master Li can complete the basic "one up and one down" warp and weft weaving with his eyes closed, but he likes to think about patterns more. "Last time, a girl said that she wanted a basket that could hold camping tea sets and it had to be light." He thought about it for three days and changed the traditional dense weaving into a sparse mesh bottom, which is both material-saving and breathable, and added anti-slip rattan rings to the handles. "It looks simple, but each knot must be stuck in the right position, otherwise it will deform when loaded with heavy objects."

The most unforgettable are those "failed products". In the bamboo basket in the corner, there are crooked baskets: some handles are asymmetrical, and some have too loose bottoms. "This dowry basket I made for a newlywed couple last year had a crack in the rattan halfway through weaving." Master Li picked up a half-finished product with his mark on it. "I felt very distressed at the time, but the customer said, 'Cracks are like life, they can be mended slowly.' Later, I used the same batch of rattan to weave another one as a commemoration of that episode."

Now there are young apprentices in the workshop, and Master Li always teaches them to "learn to touch the rattan first." "The machine can weave the same pattern, but it can't weave the feeling of the rattan slowly softening in the hand." He pointed to the rattan drying on the windowsill, which was illuminated by the sun. "If you pay attention to it, it will respond to you - the longer the woven basket is used, the more shiny it will be, just like an old friend."

When a basket goes from the workshop to life, it may contain vegetables, books, gifts, and memories. And beyond these daily routines, what is hidden is the craftsman's awe of the raw materials, the persistence of the techniques, and the care for every need. Just like Master Li said, "Weaving a basket is like living your life. Every stitch and thread must be solid so that it can stand the test of time."