Bamboo & Cane Work

Bamboo and cane works constitute an important part of the tribal art and provide them with regular income through out the year. In today’s date, it is no longer confined to the tribal market as it has found large scale acceptability. In the process, it has become an important part of the Orissa Craft. Many decorative items apart from items of daily needs are made out of cane and bamboo, like mats, baskets, durries, lamp shades etc. The art has been refined further to include furniture items now a day. In fact in today’s market, cane furniture is much in demand for their simple style and elegance in design.

The entire process of creating bamboo and cane craft involves intricate methodology that the craftsmen take years to master. First the stem of cane and bamboo is cut with a hacksaw and split longitudinally. It is then heated in low flame in order to make it a bit more flexible.

Bamboo crafts usually involve two forms – i) Basketry ii) Mattress

In basketry, bamboo/canes are coiled around a central core. The split canes are then built up spirally and the coils are joined by sewing the strips. Once the baskets are created they are decorated with paper, lace, shells or are painted with different colors. Weaving process is done by hand using water to soften the splits.

Creating mattress is although simpler than the basket items; involve lot of time and skill. The bamboo strips are weaved one after the other to give it the desired shape. The borders are generally tied with dried grass to stop the woven parts from slipping out.