Ancient Egyptian basketry

    Basketry is one of the most ancient crafts. The raw materials were widely available: grasses, above all the tough halfa varieties, sedges, reeds, stalks such as flax, twigs, leaves, most frequently of the date and doum palms, and occasionally leather [1]. The various techniques of intertwining and tying together strands of plant material were quickly mastered once the principles were understood. The range of products included mattings, baskets, bags, and sandals which

... were very closely and beautifully stitched up of rush, and usually soled with leather. A small bundle of rush was wound round by a rush thread, which at every turn pierced through the edge of a previous bundle. Thus these successive bundles were bound together edge to edge, and a flat surface built up. This was edged round in the same way. In basket making exactly the same principle was followed, with great neatness. The rush sandals soled with leather, leather sandals alone, and leather shoes, were all used. The shoes seem to have been just originating at that period; two or three examples are known, but all of them have the leather sandal strap between the toes, and joining to the sides of the heel, to retain the sole on the foot ; the upper leather being stitched on merely as a covering without its being intended to hold the shoe on the foot. These soles are compound, of three or four thicknesses.

W.M.F.Petrie Kahun, Gurob and Hawara, p.28

Year 54, month 2 of Shemu, day 24
Medjay Amenemhet: mats 2, baskets 4, sieves 4, repetition baskets 4, sieves 4, bundles of vegetables 5 ...... vegetables 2

Berlin papyrus 6025

It appears that Egypt enjoys a strong regional continuity. Basketry from New Kingdom Middle Egypt (ca. 1350 BCE) has more features in common with present-day basketry from Middle Egypt than with ancient basketry from Nubia. Similarly, there is a clear continuity between ancient and modern Nubian basketry.

Mattings
    Chairs and stools were rarely used, and most ancient Egyptians sat on the floor, which was, even in palaces, made of stamped clay; and mats to sit on were introduced early. Bed frames were covered with mattings made of plaited strips of material, such as leather or cloth.
    Windows and, at least during the earliest times of the dynastic period, doors were at times be covered with mattings which could be rolled up when not in use. A reminder of these door mattings are stone cylinders above Old Kingdom tomb entrances, simulated rolls of matting.
    Mats were also often hung on walls. They could be decorated by using varying plaiting techniques or differently coloured strands of material.
    Ships, according to Herodotus, had sails made of papyrus matting.
    Mats played a role in funerary practices early on. The corpse was often laid out on a mat, covered with or wrapped in it.

The weaver is in his workshop. He is worse off than a woman; with knees against his chest, he cannot breathe air. If he skips a day of weaving, he is beaten fifty strokes; he gives food to the doorkeeper, to let him see the light of day.

M. Lichtheim Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.1, p.188

Rush mats, like the modern hasira, appear to have been made, as a weaver's beam was found with thread holes 1½ inches apart, 28 holes in all. Flat sticks for beating up the thread into place, after the shuttle has passed in the loom, are also found.

W.M.F.Petrie Kahun, Gurob and Hawara, p.28

Baskets and bags
    Wooden storage chests were expensive and rare, and household cupboards unknown. The few possessions an ancient Egyptian family had, were therefore mostly kept in baskets. Petrie uncovered at Kahun among other things

a basket with beads and a bronze ring

the set of copper chisels and hatchets, found in a basket

a basket which had contained a small alabaster jar

basket-work which had held the smaller things and rotted clothes.

and

most of the small objects were found in oval baskets of the Nubian type, with woven patterns on the sides, and a ridge lid.

small, flat, square baskets of rope were made, about 6 or 7 inches in height and width. And a band, probably for going round the back of a man in palm climbing, is formed of 14 fine ropes parallel, interwoven with strips of linen cloth, and ending in two thick loops for attaching the rope.

baskets were also made of palm leaf; both of the modern round type with palm rope handles, and of the flat, square form ; the latter is most thoughtfully designed, with a wooden bottom bar, woven rope corners, six fine ropes up the sides to distribute the pressure, retained in place by a cross rope, and ending in a twisted rope handle, the top edge having a fine rope binding,

W. M. F. Petrie Illahun, Kahun and Gurob

Methods

Weaving or plaiting

• Check (A) - single strands of warp and weft are interlaced forming a checkerboard pattern,
• Twilled (B) - weft is passed over more than one warp strand;
• Twined (C) - two weft strands are intertwined between each warp.

Coiling

• Bee-skep coil (A) - the stitches are spaced widely apart without touching each other.
• Furcate coil (B) - the new stitch splits the stitch in the preceding coil. The result resembles crochet work.

Basket styles

Decoration

• Colour was used at times, generally black, white or red (A).
• Sometimes decorations were stitched on and seem to have had reinforcing properties as well (B).
• The weaving patterns could be intricate (C).
• Extraneous objects might be incorporated, such as shells (D).