Madhu Narayanan
Following “Fibreality”: What Does the Making of Bamboo Baskets Tell Us?
ICON: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology 28, no. 2 (2023): 105–117.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11590/icon.2023.2.05
Abstract
This article investigates the materiality of bamboo baskets through the practices of a basket-making community in South India. It asks how bamboo, understood initially as a natural resource, becomes a material for weaving through the interaction of the plant, artisanal skills, knowledge, and the intended use of the finished object.
Drawing on ethnographic evidence and historical narratives, the article introduces the concept of “fibreality” to describe the way in which the materiality of bamboo baskets embodies human knowledge and skill. Factors such as knowledge of the bamboo life cycle, seasonal demand for baskets, and regulations governing harvesting all shape this process. The study argues that attention to material-processing techniques can broaden the history of technology by highlighting craft as a form of everyday technological knowledge.