Willow basket weaving in the Czech Republic is concentrated in river floodplain areas — the Elbe and Vltava lowlands of South Bohemia and the Morava basin — where basket willow (Salix viminalis) grows readily along drainage channels and wet meadow edges. The craft has been practiced continuously in these regions for at least four centuries, with documented workshop activity in Písek and Strakonice districts from the early 17th century.
Raw Material: Willow Rod Selection
The quality of a finished basket depends heavily on the characteristics of the rods used. Czech weavers traditionally distinguish between two main categories of willow rod:
- Brown willow — harvested in late autumn or winter after the sap has dropped, and used as-is without stripping. The bark provides a warm brown colour and extra durability, but the rods are less uniform than stripped material.
- White willow (buff) — rods are stripped of bark after a period of controlled soaking or boiling to soften the fibre. The resulting pale material weaves more precisely and takes dye evenly.
Rod length for utility baskets typically falls between 90 cm and 180 cm. Diameter at the thick end should not exceed 10–12 mm for standard round-base work; finer decorative basketry uses rods of 4–6 mm at the butt.
Harvest timing is critical. Rods cut before leaf-drop contain too much moisture and will shrink and crack after weaving. Those cut too late in winter may have begun to harden. The preferred window in Czech practice is from mid-November through February, after the first frosts have stiffened the shoots but before spring growth resumes.
Preparation: Soaking and Drying
Dried brown rods must be soaked before use to restore flexibility. The standard method used in South Bohemian workshops:
- Submerge rods in a water tank or suitable stream section with the butt ends down for 3–7 days depending on rod thickness.
- Remove rods and allow them to mellow — wrapped in wet hessian — for an additional 24–48 hours. This allows moisture to equalise through the full length.
- Test flexibility by bending a sample rod around 90 degrees at its midpoint. Adequate preparation produces no cracking at the outer curve.
For buff (stripped) willow, soaking times are shorter — typically 24–36 hours — because the stripped rod absorbs water faster. Overwet buff willow becomes slimy and weaves poorly.
Base Construction
The circular slath base is the most common structure in traditional Czech willow basketry. It is formed from thick structural rods called stakes, crossed and lashed at the centre, then opened out and woven to form a flat disc that becomes the basket floor.
Standard approach for a 30 cm base:
- Cut 8 thick base rods (slyners) approximately 40 cm long and 8–10 mm in diameter.
- Pierce 4 of them through the centre with a bodkin and thread the remaining 4 through the slot to form a cross of 4 pairs.
- Begin pairing — two weavers worked alternately around each pair of slyners for the first 3 circuits, then open the slyners out into individual spokes and continue pairing to the required base diameter.
- Finish the base edge with a simple wale or border before upsetting the stakes for the sides.
Building the Sides
After the base is complete, side stakes are inserted alongside each base stake, then cranked upright in a process called "upsetting." A three-rod wale — three weavers worked in sequence, each passing in front of two uprights and behind one — locks the stakes in position and defines the transition from base to side.
The body of the basket is typically woven in randing (a single weaver passing alternately in front of and behind consecutive stakes) or in slewing (multiple weavers in parallel for faster coverage). Czech work baskets often combine a slewed body with decorative waled bands at the base and shoulder.
Handles and Borders
The top border most commonly found in South Bohemian work is the four-rod behind-two border, which produces a clean plaited edge of medium density. Stiffer borders requiring more material are reserved for market baskets that need to carry weight on the rim.
Rope handles are twisted from two or three thick rods and anchored through holes made with a metal bodkin alongside border stakes. The handle length for a standard shopping basket is approximately 30–35 cm measured at the inside arch.
Markets and Where to Find Czech Basketwork
Handmade willow baskets appear at seasonal craft markets throughout Bohemia and Moravia. The most consistent venues are the Easter and Christmas markets in Prague (Náměstí Míru, Náměstí Republiky), the Brno craft fair held in September on Náměstí Svobody, and the Strakonice regional market in July. Permanent retail of handmade basketware can be found through ÚLUV (Centre for Folk Art Production), which maintains a directory of registered craftspeople and a physical shop in Prague.
A well-made willow basket from this region typically weighs between 400 and 800 grams and, with proper storage away from damp, remains in working condition for 15–25 years.
References and Further Reading
- ÚLUV — Centre for Folk Art Production
- The Basketmakers' Association (UK)
- Hrubý, V. (2003). Proutí a košíkářství v Čechách. Muzeum Písek.
