Basketry, Cesteria, A beautiful craft in Oaxaca

Basket weaving is probably Mexico's oldest craft and one that has not changed over the years.  Remnants of baskets have been found in Mexican caves dating as far back as 7,000 B.C..  It is believed that basketry developed before agriculture and that the nomadic 
hunter-gathers wove containers to collect and store their food and carry their supplies.

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A wide variety of baskets can be found in the traditional indigenous Mexican markets, especially in Oaxaca.  From utilitarian baskets used for harvest baskets and bread trays to purely decorative.  A variety of shapes, colors and weaves.

So many uses for the different shapes above.  The small pueblos south-east of Oaxaca City in which baskets are produced are Santa Cruz Papalutia, San Juan Guelavia and Magdalena, way of the beaten track.

In the entrance of the Benito Juarez market in Oaxaca City, there are a few talented women from La Mixteca region weaving and selling the striking palm baskets in brilliant colors.  Called tenates, these baskets were originally woven to hold hot tortillas.

The different designs are influenced by the ancient Zapotec culture.   Similar to the patterns found in the stone work at Mitla.  These ancient weaving patterns are called petate, the Nahuatl word for bedroll.

The artisans go into the hills to collect the palm leaves which are then dried in the sun for three days.  Later they scratch the palm with a knife to remove the cuticle.  The palms come in four different types:  white, yellow, Ixcate and mountian - each different by its color, size and malleability.  A combination of natural and dyed palm fibers are used to create these beautiful baskets. 

An average size basket takes 2 to 3 hours to make and each artisan can weave up to three per day.  Very pliable, these lidded containers, round or square, are the ideal vessels for gifts.  Much better than a paper gift bag.  I stock up on them every time I am in Oaxaca.  How can you not resist buying a few to take home - they pack well and weigh practically nothing.

Wander deeper into the market and you will find a variety of stalls selling woven bags.

For my Oaxaca tours, I usually buy a variety of these and fill them with candy, a welcome folder and other goodies that await my guests in their rooms.

These baskets woven in a heavy plastic are perfect for your carry on tote when traveling.  The are pretty indestructible.

Basket weaving is dependent on the areas local plants such as reeds and grasses, cane and willow twigs, cactus and palm fibers for the raw material.

After taking my group to Monte Alban, we head over to the Thursday market in Zaachila.  This is where you will find these beautiful, sturdy baskets with handles.  The weavers work with "carrizo", a reed from Antilla brought over during the Spanish times, and bamboo, first introduced in Morelia from Asia.

I could not resist purchasing this one from this charming lady. 

A few years ago, I did a flower arranging presentation for the Bow Mar Garden Club just outside of Denver and I used that basket I had purchased in Zaachila.  After lining the basket with heavy plastic to ensure it was water tight, it made for the perfect container to showcase the pink peonies, the pale green Viburnum along with the rhubarb leaves that lined the perimeter. 

Such creativity.

Across from where I had bought the basket in the Zachilla market was a lady selling these large basket, Tompiates.

These Tompiates are used to transport and store fruits, vegetables and other bulky items.

Friday is the big market day in Ocotlan de Morelos and is one of my all time favorite markets.  This large basket has served her well over the years.

How beautiful are these purple-blue Agapanthas standing in this big "canasta".

It's always a busy day on Sunday over in the Mercado de Abasto, Oaxaca City's foremost retail and wholesale market on the south-west edge of the city.  Covering a multitude of city blocks, this market sells absolutely everything.  There is a specific section solely dedicated to baskets.  My good friend Esther from San Miguel de Allende and I were marveling on the size and durability of this one basket.

You rarely see a women without her basket when selling or shopping in the markets.

A vendor unloading her produce from her basket at the market in Tlacolula de Matamoros.  You can identify the ladies from this area by the colorful bandanas they wear on their heads.

Such gorgeous produce on display in these baskets.  And my favorite, Flor de Calabazas (squash blossoms). 

One Friday afternoon, we were heading back into Oaxaca City and we spotted these two ladies and the little boy on their way to a festival that was in front of the church we had just passed. 

In the main zocalo near the main Cathedral you will see women with baskets on their heads selling roses and gardenias.

Just one of the many ways baskets are utilized in the Oaxaca valley.   And each basket is truly unique!