{"id":161422,"date":"2026-01-19T15:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casaatlantica.es\/del-mimbre-a-otras-fibras-la-pluralidad-de-la-cesteria-iberica\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:41:33","slug":"from-wicker-to-other-fibres-the-plurality-of-iberian-basketry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casaatlantica.es\/en\/from-wicker-to-other-fibres-the-plurality-of-iberian-basketry\/","title":{"rendered":"From Wicker to Other Fibres: The Plurality of Iberian Basketry"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row el_class=”marginblog”][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

From Wicker to Other Fibres: The Plurality of Iberian Basketry<\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1768843590289{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Part One<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1768902047912{margin-bottom: 48px !important;}”][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

At Casa Atl\u00e2ntica we work with craftsmanship in many of its forms, but basketry is the place we always return to: a language we understand and continue to explore every day with growing curiosity.<\/p>\n

I have always learned at home, in a natural way, observing and practising alongside my father, the artisan \u00c1lvaro Leiro, but also beyond it: with professionals and anonymous craftspeople, in spaces where knowledge does not always have a name, and, as in any craft, also in a self-taught way.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Each basket with its wicker<\/h3>\n

Wicker is a natural fibre obtained from a shrub in the willow family (Salix), whose flexible branches are woven to create furniture, baskets and other useful objects. Its lightness and strength have made it a classic material in traditional basketry in Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n

Although conventional approaches often reduce basketry to wicker, this material is only one part of a much richer and more diverse tradition. Wicker stands out for its flexibility, which allows complex structures to be shaped, as well as for its lightness and durability.<\/p>\n

But Iberian basketry is not limited to wicker. Beyond this classic material, there are other fibres and techniques that have evolved in step with the landscapes of the peninsula, giving rise to objects that are as diverse as they are efficient, and deeply connected to their environment. In this post we will review some of them\u2014not all of them\u2014because there are countless examples.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”161384″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768825958109{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Wicker and cane baskets by Pau Trepat<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_single_image image=”161384″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768825977898{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Wicker and cane baskets by Pau Trepat<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Each basket with its wicker<\/h3>\n

Wicker is a natural fibre obtained from a shrub in the willow family (Salix), whose flexible branches are woven to create furniture, baskets and other useful objects. Its lightness and strength have made it a classic material in traditional basketry in Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n

Although conventional approaches often reduce basketry to wicker, this material is only one part of a much richer and more diverse tradition. Wicker stands out for its flexibility, which allows complex structures to be shaped, as well as for its lightness and durability.<\/p>\n

But Iberian basketry is not limited to wicker. Beyond this classic material, there are other fibres and techniques that have evolved in step with the landscapes of the peninsula, giving rise to objects that are as diverse as they are efficient, and deeply connected to their environment. In this post we will review some of them\u2014not all of them\u2014because there are countless examples.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”161390″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768826856684{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Esparto weavers of Extremadura<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”161387″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768826949214{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Esparto landscape – \u00a9 Museo del esparto de Cieza<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Harder than esparto<\/h3>\n

Esparto grass is one of the most representative fibres of Iberian basketry, especially in the dry areas of the south and the interior of the peninsula. The term esparto<\/em> is commonly used to refer to the leaves, while the plant as a whole is known as espartera<\/em> or atocha<\/em>. Given its importance in past economies, esparto has even left its mark on place names: such as the Atocha neighbourhood in Madrid, which owes its name to the historical abundance of this plant in the area.<\/p>\n

Esparto was used to make cords, footwear, large baskets and agricultural tools. It was a strategic fibre: resistant, durable and readily available. Unlike wicker, esparto does not seek lightness or extreme flexibility. It demands strength, technique and deep knowledge of the material. Its aesthetic is a direct consequence of its function: sober, robust and honest.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Today, esparto is experiencing a revival thanks to workshops and artisans who have managed to update this knowledge without stripping it of its character. A recent example is Ubed\u00edes Artesan\u00eda, the workshop led by Pedro Antonio Blanco Ubalde, which has just received the National Craft Prize. Esparto work was always a humble trade, never properly valued or fairly paid. But it seems that, at last, we are beginning to recognise the cultural heritage we had all along.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”161393″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768827201566{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Esparto skeins – Javier Sa\u0301nchez – \u00a9 A\u0301lvaro Felgueroso<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_single_image image=”161393″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1768829516561{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Esparto skeins – Javier Sa\u0301nchez – \u00a9 A\u0301lvaro Felgueroso<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Today, esparto is experiencing a revival thanks to workshops and artisans who have managed to update this knowledge without stripping it of its character. A recent example is Ubed\u00edes Artesan\u00eda, the workshop led by Pedro Antonio Blanco Ubalde, which has just received the National Craft Prize. Esparto work was always a humble trade, never properly valued or fairly paid. But it seems that, at last, we are beginning to recognise the cultural heritage we had all along.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”161406″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768832866561{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Baskets – \u00a9 \u00c1lvaro Leiro<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”161400″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768827800471{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Light as straw<\/h3>\n

One of the oldest techniques in the peninsula\u2019s repertoire is spiral basketry, where fibres (such as rye straw or cereal straw) are coiled around themselves and sewn together with materials like bramble or thin strips of wicker.<\/p>\n

This method produces closed, robust and compact baskets, traditionally used as storage containers for grain or dry goods. Their spiral construction makes each object literally a record of repeated gestures: turn after turn, stitch after stitch.<\/p>\n

Straw is also used in objects not meant to contain, but to protect. Among them are straw hats, widespread in different regions, such as the Galician Sancosmeiro<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The technique requires precision and regularity: first the strips are braided, then they are sewn together. The thickness of the straw braid and the rhythm of the spiral determine both the strength and the comfort of the piece. They are light objects, yet structurally complex, designed to accompany long days of outdoor work.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”161397″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768832880865{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Sancosmeiros – \u00a9 Ramo\u0301n Dimas, 1956<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_single_image image=”161397″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768832911538{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Sancosmeiros – \u00a9 Ramo\u0301n Dimas, 1956<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The technique requires precision and regularity: first the strips are braided, then they are sewn together. The thickness of the straw braid and the rhythm of the spiral determine both the strength and the comfort of the piece. They are light objects, yet structurally complex, designed to accompany long days of outdoor work.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”161409″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768828945701{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvaro Leiro for Loewe – \u00a9 Yago Castromil<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Flexible as rush<\/h3>\n

A distinctive chapter in basketry from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula is that of the corozas: utilitarian garments made from woven rush, designed to protect field workers from rain and wind.<\/p>\n

These pieces act as bridges between basketry and clothing: they use the same fibres, the same braiding and sewing techniques, but applied to the human body.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Crossing the border into Portugal, another notable variation appears: rush basketry worked on a loom. Instead of the typical manual interlacing, the fibres are dyed beforehand in bright colours and arranged in structures that more closely resemble textile weaving, with warp and weft crossing in regular patterns.<\/p>\n

This approach allows for flatter surfaces and repetitive patterns, turning rush into a material that, although vegetal, engages with techniques typically associated with looms. The result is pieces that are very different from traditional wicker or esparto baskets, with a defined visual rhythm and a more graphic treatment of the fibre.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”161412″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768829176240{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Rush basket – \u00a9 Toino Abel<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_single_image image=”161412″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1768829219930{margin-bottom: 24px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Rush basket – \u00a9 Toino Abel<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Crossing the border into Portugal, another notable variation appears: rush basketry worked on a loom. Instead of the typical manual interlacing, the fibres are dyed beforehand in bright colours and arranged in structures that more closely resemble textile weaving, with warp and weft crossing in regular patterns.<\/p>\n

This approach allows for flatter surfaces and repetitive patterns, turning rush into a material that, although vegetal, engages with techniques typically associated with looms. The result is pieces that are very different from traditional wicker or esparto baskets, with a defined visual rhythm and a more graphic treatment of the fibre.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1768902068417{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

And here we pause.
\nNext week we will pick up the thread again to continue talking about other fibres and techniques of Iberian basketry.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1768825326268{margin-top: 48px !important;}”][vc_row][vc_column]