CHAPTER X

BASKET-COVERED POTTERY

There has always been a close connection between pottery and basketry. Those who study Indian handicrafts learn that pottery was evolved from basketry in the long ago. Neltje Blanchan suggests that it may have happened in some such way as this: “Perhaps a hunter returned home hungry one day ... and his wife, anxious to hasten dinner for her impatient lord, coated her cooking-basket with clay that she might set it directly over the fire without danger of burning. Imagine the woman’s surprise and joy to find, on removing it from the embers after dinner, that she had a basket plus an earthenware pot!”

The two crafts have helped each other from that day to this. The Indian woman suspends her earthen cooking-jar with coils of wild grapevine, which ever and anon she smears with wet clay when the flames come too near. Japanese craftsmen enmesh their pottery jars with wistaria stems to protect them from breakage, or to suspend them against the wall, where growing plants or trailing vines may fill them to overflowing. Even the little ginger jar one buys for a few cents in Chinatown has its case and handle of pliant cane.

Charming things may be made for the beautifying of one’s own or another’s house if one knows something of the two crafts. A few of them are described in the following pages:

_Indian Pottery Bowl Suspended with Raffia_

=Materials required=:

An Indian pottery bowl in white and Indian red, 6 inches in diameter at the top,

A bunch of Indian red raffia,

A curtain ring,

A tapestry needle No. 18.

Any one who has made raffia hats with the knots that our mothers used to call macramé in the early eighties, will see by a glance at the plate how the network of raffia which incloses this bowl is fashioned. The bowl is the first consideration. It may be bought at an Indian store for about a dollar; or, if one prefers, one can mould one’s own bowl of flower-pot clay. In that case, however, the white background which is so effective in the Indian ware will be missed.

To begin with: Thread a No. 18 tapestry needle with a strand of Indian red raffia. Twist the end three or four times around the middle and forefinger of the left hand, and cover the small ring thus made with button-hole stitches. The ring should be about an inch in diameter.

Finish off the end of the raffia by sewing several stitches through and through the ring. Pin this ring to a cushion on one’s lap or to some firm, soft object near at hand. Take two strands of raffia, double them around the ring, and with the four ends thus made tie a Solomon’s knot as follows: Hold the two upper strands straight and taut. Bend the under strand on the left across them to the right (see Fig. 47), and bring the under strand on the right over the end of the left strand, back of the middle strands, and through the loop made by the left strand in starting. Another pair of strands is knotted on in the same way, and another, until there are thirteen groups around the ring. Beginning anywhere on the ring, the strands on the right of a group are brought beside the two on the left of the group to the right of it, and the middle pair of the four are held straight down, while the strands on the right and left are knotted upon them as already described. This knot should be about half an inch from those in the previous row. Make a double knot this time—that is, repeat the process already described. Take the strand which was on the left after the first knot was tied, bring it over the middle strands to the right, and after bringing the strand on the right over the end of the left one and back of the middle strands, pass it up through the loop made by the left strand in starting. The two strands at the right of the right-hand group are next knotted in the same way with two on the left of the next group to the right, and so it goes on around the net—making a double Solomon’s knot each time.

Five rows more of this knotting are made, each row being half an inch from the previous one, except the fifth, which is three-quarters of an inch from the fourth. Now bring all the strands from three groups together at an inch and three-quarters from the last row of knotting. Hold the middle one of the three groups taut, and tie the strands to right and left upon it in a Solomon’s knot. Tie another knot close to the first one, and another, until there are seven—one below the other. Three more groups are brought together at an inch and three-quarters from the last row of knotting, and tied in the same way. Then another three. The fourth bunch will have four groups of strands in it (as there were thirteen groups in all at starting). Two of these groups, the middle ones, are held taut, and those to left and right are tied upon this double group as the others were. Then, taking the long ends of one of these bunches, tie them again in three Solomon’s knots at an inch and three-quarters from the seventh knot. They are next brought straight down without knotting, for two inches more, when two knots are made. For two and three-quarter inches more they are brought without knotting, then tied and wound around a large ring—an old curtain ring about two inches in diameter will do. When all four bunches have been knotted in the same way, and the ends of all have been fastened securely to the curtain ring, the ring is covered neatly with button-hole stitch in raffia, and a raffia binding about half an inch wide is made just below the ring, where the strands are fastened to it.

_Green Pottery Jar Inclosed and Suspended with Brown Rattan_

=Materials required=:

The Pottery Jar: About 2½ pounds of clay,

The wooden modelling tools,

The rectangular tool of sheet steel,

The pointed steel tool,

A bowl of slip,

A small sponge,

The Basket Covering: About six lengths of No. 4 deep-brown rattan,

A piece of fine but strong wire 24 inches long,

A pair of pliers,

A bunch of deep-brown raffia.

Around the quaint and attractive hanging jar from which this one is copied is woven a tale as curious as its covering of knotted brown twigs. It is this: the rectangular green jar, which looks like a pottery box, was once the casket in which some Chinese lady kept her pomades and perfumes. When she slept, her head, which had been dressed most elaborately with the aforesaid pomades, was laid upon this same pottery box for a pillow—another instance of the painfulness of pride in China!

How strange the little Chinese lady would think it of us to use her earthen pillow as we do—for a hanging flower-jar! Who covered it with knotted wistaria twigs? I should suspect it was some deft-fingered Japanese—though the jar was bought in Hawaii.

It will not be very difficult to copy. First there is the box-like jar to be made. A rectangular bottom is cut from a well-worked lump of clay after it has been patted flat with the hand and rolled with the rolling-pin. It should be five by three and a half inches—which allows an inch on length and breadth for shrinkage. Upon this foundation coils of clay are built, as described in previous chapters, making them thinner, however, than usual—not over a quarter of an inch thick. As the walls are built they should be finished carefully inside and out, keeping them straight and true at the corners, as well as on all sides. When the jar is seven and a quarter inches high, the top is made even by eye and perfected on the ground-glass slab, as described in Chapter II. A rectangular piece of clay is then rolled and cut the size of the bottom; an oval piece about two by three inches is cut out of the middle, with the pointed steel tool, and it is left on a plaster slab to stiffen for half an hour. The upper edge of the jar is then criss-crossed with the pointed steel tool and wet with slip, and this flat top is attached to it deftly and carefully. After drying for several hours, it may be finished with the sheet-steel tool, the shape perfected, and the surface dampened with a sponge and polished with the fingers. When it has dried for several days it is coated with a glossy green glaze and fired.

The covering of knotted rattan is made as follows: Six pliable lengths of No. 4 brown rattan are needed for this covering. They must be carefully selected, for as they are to be tied they should, when wet, be almost as pliable as cord. It is not difficult to find them as soft as this, especially after they have been dyed. In starting, a length of rattan which has been wet until soft is tied around the jar at about half an inch from the top. The long end is twisted once around this foundation ring. This may be done off of the jar if it is easier. When the ring has been replaced on the jar, two pieces of very pliable rattan about sixty inches long are doubled around the ring at the middle of the front of the jar and tied in a Solomon’s knot, as already described (see Fig. 47). The second part of the knot, however, is not tied as the raffia was in making the knotted covering for the Indian bowl. Instead, the end which is on the right after the first knot has been tied is brought over to the left, above the middle strands, and the one on the left, coming down over its end, goes back of the middle strands and up through the loop left in starting the right strand (see Fig. 48). Another pair of strands of the same length is tied in this way around the ring at the middle of the back of the jar, and a pair at either end. The strands at the right of the knot in the middle of the front are then brought beside those at the left of the group on the right end, and these are knotted as just described, at about an inch and three-quarters from the first row, and at the corner of the jar. The remaining strands of the group on the right end are knotted with those at the left of the group in the middle of the back, and so on around the jar. There will then be four knots, all an inch and three-quarters from the first row, and each at a corner of the jar. Three more rows of knotting are made in the same way, and then the four ends remaining at the front and back after the fifth row of knots has been made are wet with warm water until very pliable and tied together under the jar. Those from the sides are tied in the same manner and at the same place. All the ends are bound securely just below these knots with fine wire, and over this an inch-wide band of raffia. The ends are cut irregular lengths, the longest not more than fourteen inches from the bottom of the jar.

A handle is then made as follows:

A piece of pliable brown rattan, No. 4, about two yards long, is wet until soft and passed around the knot nearest the top at one end of the jar. The ends are brought together and twisted for their entire length. At the opposite end of the jar they are brought around the knot nearest the top, turned up, and firmly bound to the handle with a piece of wire, which may then be covered with a binding of raffia.

Take care to make this wire binding secure, for this is the place where the greatest strain comes. It is in such places as this that the Oriental craftsmen show their superiority. Their ends, thus bound, are bound to stay, while ours sometimes slip.

_Jar of Flemish Pottery Inclosed with Pale-Green Rattan_

=Materials required=:

A jar of Flemish pottery, 4 inches high, 2½ inches in diameter at the bottom and 1 inch at the top,

About six lengths of No. 00 green rattan.

A little jar of quaint Flemish pottery, charming in form and colour, is the foundation of this piece. This ware, which is just becoming known to us, is interesting in many ways. First of all, for its own sake—the attractive shapes: candlesticks, bowls, jugs, jars, and tiles all have the stamp of individuality, rare in any ware that is within reach of the average purse. The colours are beautiful—deep greens and blues, soft browns and dull orange for the most part. Some of the pieces are made by Belgian school children, others in potteries started by a club of men in Belgium, followers of Ruskin, who have revived the craft, employing only Belgians to design and mould the ware. The old methods are carefully followed—the pieces are wheel-made, not formed in moulds. Much of the decoration is done by boys, who make a charming picture, clad in blouses and sabots, their young faces all interested and absorbed in the work.

The open-meshed weave of pale-green rattan with which this jar is inclosed only slightly veils the colour of the glaze—deep-green at the base, shading through blue to a soft mousy-brown at the top. The covering is made as follows:

One end of a piece of green No. 00 rattan twenty-seven inches long is tied into a ring two inches and a half in diameter. Around this foundation ring the long end of the rattan is twisted in and out, until it has made the circuit twice—three times, counting the foundation ring. Some very pliable lengths of No. 00 green rattan are cut into twenty pieces thirty-two inches long. They are wet until quite soft, and then two of them are doubled around the ring and tied with a Solomon’s knot (see Fig. 47). Another pair is doubled and knotted upon the ring, and another, until ten groups have been attached at intervals around the circumference. Starting with any one of the groups, the two strands on the right are brought beside the two on the left of the group to the right of it, and knotted together as described on page 132, at three-quarters of an inch from the first row of knots. The two remaining strands of the right-hand group are brought beside those on the left of the next group to the right, where another knot is made, and so on, until the circuit is complete. One more row of knots is made in the same way, three-quarters of an inch from those in the previous row. The whole network is then wet thoroughly and fitted over the lower part of the jar, tying it if necessary, to mould the rattan in to the form. At about an inch and a half from the last row of knots, a row of pairing is made with a very pliable piece of No. 00 green rattan. For the benefit of those who may not know this simple basket weave, the following directions are given:

Holding the jar with its partial covering of rattan right side up, draw the ends of the strands remaining after the last row of knots was tied, close up against the sides of the jar. Double the pliable piece of No. 00 rattan around a pair of ends which formed the middle strands of one of the knots. Taking the upper half of the piece, which seems to come from behind the two strands (to the left of them), bring it over them, under the next pair and out in front. Hold down, with the left hand, the end you have just used, while with the right bring the other end (which was on the right of the first pair of strands) over the next pair of strands on the right and under the next. It is now held down in front, while the process is repeated—always taking the end on the left to weave with.

The doubled strands, or spokes, on which these stitches are woven, should be drawn close together, till not more than a sixteenth of an inch apart, so that they will cling to the jar. When the circuit of the jar has been made, another row is woven. At the end of this second row both of the weaving strands are cut, so that their ends will come back of the last pair of strands in the circuit. For half an inch the strands are drawn up toward the top of the jar without weaving; then, one row more of the pairing is made, and after thoroughly wetting the ends of the vertical strands the following border is woven: Bring each pair of strands over the next three on the right under the succeeding two and outside of the jar. The entire circuit of the border is made in this way, only leaving the first part of it loose and open, so that the last strands can be woven in easily. When finished, the border is again wet, and its edge made even and true, on a line with the top of the jar or slightly above it. The ends of the strands are then cut close to the jar, so as to allow each to lie back of the last strand it went under. If the covering stands out from the jar—does not cling as it ought, it should be thoroughly wet and bound around with string or raffia, and firmly tied, until it is dry. Fig. 49 shows the completed covering.

_Green Pottery Bowl with Covering and Handles of Green Rattan_

=Materials required=:

A green pottery bowl 5½ inches in diameter at the upper edge and 3¼ at the bottom,

30 pieces of pale-green No. 00 rattan 48 inches long,

2 lengths of pale-green No. 00 rattan.

This green bowl, inclosed with a knotted covering of pale-green rattan, may be used as a hanging flower-pot or for cut flowers. The original was a piece of deep-green Spanish pottery, but if one can make the bowl, so much the better—as long as the dimensions are those given above. In starting, fifteen pieces of No. 00 green rattan which have been wet until quite soft and pliable are laid side by side in a group which is doubled at its centre, and the ends tied securely together, about two inches from where it was doubled. One group of ends, containing fifteen pieces, is made flat and even, and then separated into three groups of five pieces each and braided in a three-stranded plait ten and a half inches long. It is then tied securely. The other group is separated and braided in the same way, keeping the strands flat and the plaiting close and even. Fifteen more pieces of rattan of the same size and length (which have been wet until pliable) are now passed through the loop made by doubling the other pieces, bent at the middle and tied as the others were, two inches from the place where they were doubled.

The ends of these pieces are also braided in two plaits for ten and a half inches and then tied firmly.

Holding the braids so that the ends of the strands turn up, and starting at about two inches from where the braiding stops, a pliable piece of No. 00 rattan is doubled around the pair of ends on the left of one of the groups, and is woven in pairing upon these ends and those succeeding them—keeping them about half an inch apart. As there is an uneven number of ends in each group, the fifteenth one is brought beside the first end in the next group, and the pairing woven upon them (see Fig. 50). Thus it goes on, until the circuit has been made, when the bowl is fitted into the ring (the braided handles, of course, turning up; and the ring about an inch below the top of the bowl). If the ring is too loose, the stitches may be wet and drawn up a little; if too tight, they are wet and stretched. Two more rows are woven with the handles turning down; then the work is reversed, so that the unfinished ends shall turn down. The ends are wet until soft and pliable, and at three-quarters of an inch from the last row of pairing they are tied into a row of the knots described on page 132. A second row of knots is made at an inch from the first. The case is then fitted over the bowl and wet if it is necessary in order to mould it in to fit the shape. Turn the bowl upside down, and at half an inch from the last row of knotting double a pliable piece of No. 00 rattan around a pair of ends anywhere on the circumference of the covering and weave one row of pairing, drawing the ends of the strands in, to fit the bottom of the bowl. This will bring them about three-eighths of an inch apart. Another row of pairing is woven, and then a base is made as follows: After the ends have been wet until pliable, start with any one of the pairs, bringing it over the first pair on the right, under the second, over the third, and under the fourth, taking care to leave the base loose and open where it begins, that the last strands may be easily woven in (see Fig. 51). The next pair of ends on the right is woven in the same way over the first on its right, under the second, over the third, and under the fourth. So it goes on around the bowl until the time comes to weave in the last strands, which will not be difficult if the caution in regard to leaving the beginning open and loose has been heeded. When the base is finished, wet it thoroughly, and draw up the strands or let them out until the edge is even and on a line with the bottom of the bowl. The ends of the strands are then cut so that the tip of each will lie behind the last strand it went under.

_Three-Handled Bowl for Plants or Flowers_

=Materials required=:

About 3½ pounds of clay,

A plaster mould for a bowl,

The wooden modelling tools,

The oval tools of sheet steel,

The sharp-pointed steel tool,

A bunch of raffia.

This charming bowl for a growing plant or cut flowers may either be used as a centrepiece on a table, or suspended by a heavy raffia braid in the recess of a window or on the porch. The dull gray-green mat-glaze with which it is finished harmonises delightfully with the colours of growing things.

It is formed in a bowl-shaped plaster mould in the same way as the rose-bowl described in Chapter VII. and the bowl for a lamp in Chapter VI., but the bottom is made unusually thick (three-quarters of an inch) to allow for cutting away, as the form is as nearly a hemisphere as possible, only flattened slightly at the bottom.

When the bowl has been built up to within an inch, perhaps, of the top of the mould, if it is not a deep one, make the next coil free from the sides of the mould—almost vertical, in fact. The coil that succeeds it slopes in ever so slightly.

This will make the shape deep enough. It is now necessary to let the bowl harden enough so that it can easily be slipped out of the mould. The hollows between the coils, after they have been wet with slip, are filled in with clay of the consistency of the bowl. The bowl is again set away to harden, and then smoothed and finished, as described in previous chapters, aiming to trim it as nearly as possible to the form of a half-sphere. After the edge has been cut as nearly true as possible by eye, it is made absolutely even by the process described in