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How did handles and straps make transport baskets easier to carry?
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Basketry
Overview of basketry on Madeira Island, Portugal.
Handles and straps make transport baskets easier to carry by providing specific mechanisms tailored to the method of transport, whether the basket is held by hand, carried on a yoke, or worn on the back.1
- Handheld Baskets: These typically feature one or two handles, allowing for convenient manual transport.1
- Burden Baskets: Designed for carrying heavy loads on the back, these large, deep baskets are equipped with specialized supports to distribute weight. These include headbands that rest across the forehead or two straps that fit over the shoulders.1
In regions where goods are traditionally carried on the head, such as in parts of Africa, baskets used for transport often do not differ in design from those used for storage, as the head serves as the primary means of support rather than handles or straps.1