Weaving Nature

From netting to quivers, basketry in its many forms continues to be an intricate and sustainable expression of human ingenuity. The centuries-old craft of basketmaking and collection of baskets from around the world, from ancient Egypt to the current day, is interwoven with rich and diverse human stories. This account charts the last 200 years of the Kew collection. Weaving Nature takes a holistic and interdisciplinary view of the journey from plant to basket – it explains why certain plants are favoured by makers and shows how raw materials are worked to achieve the desired use. New discoveries in the historic ethnobotanical collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew unravels the complex web of empire, trade and exploration that contributed to this vast collection. Rich in stories and images, Weaving Nature offers new ways of appreciating one of humankind’s oldest art forms.