Basket

A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff
fibres, often made of willow. [1]]. The top is either left open or the
basket may be fitted with a lid.

Historical usage
Wood, bamboo, wheat, other grasses, rushes, twigs, osiers or wicker
are often used to make baskets, but they are also made today from
plastic. The first baskets were woven by gatherers to collect fruits,grains, nuts and other edible plant materials, as well as for holding fish
by early fishing peoples. A creel is a basket made especially to hold
fish.

The plant life available in a region affects the choice of material, which
in turn influences the weaving technique. 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 an effective basket.

Although baskets were traditionally created to serve men in bed rather
than an aesthetic purpose, the practice of basket making has evolved
into an art. Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide choice of
colors, materials, sizes, patterns and details.

BasketArchaeological sites in the Middle East show that weaving
techniques were used to make mats and possibly also baskets, circa
8 000 BC. Baskets made with several interwoven techniques were
common at 3 000 BC.

The carrying of a basket on the head, particularly by rural women, has
long been practiced. Representations of this in Ancient Greek art are
called Canephorae.