gaa debuts with rush-weaving series handcrafted in taiwan

rush-weaving artisans have continually seen a decrease in business due to the pervasiveness of industry. with mass-produced options readily and cheaply available, individual craftsmen and small collectives have had to take steeply discounted pay to make ends meet. the taiwan yuan-li handiwork association is dedicated to keeping traditional crafts — and the people who have dedicated their lives to them — afloat.

gaa debuts with rush-weaving series handcrafted in taiwan
all images courtesy of gaa

finland-based designer chia-en lu, founder of gaa, worked with the association to produce her first product, the ‘rush-weaving series’. a collection of simple, modern baskets; each is handmade in taiwan by master craftswoman xueyun wen. the woven patterns are local to the area and have passed down generation-to-generation for more than 280 years. a highly-skilled artisan can produce roughly one basket per full working day. however, lu optimized the design so that apprentice rush-weavers can still make it with relative ease.

baskets are perfect for small trinkets or jewelry 

once completed, each basket — there are four variations — is finished with a polished copper rim or lid. the top pieces are also fabricated by hand; in this instance by a metal smith in taipei, taiwan. round copper sheets are rotated on a lathe, and with a specially made tool, masterfully turned and folded into the proper form. the ‘rush-weaving series’ is available through studio gaa. 

‘shallow basket’ 

xueyun wen, master craftswoman behind the ‘rush-weaving series’ 

another craftsman making a hat; a common rush-grass product

before weaving, grass is dried, culled, and each fiber is thinly sliced into multiple pieces 

increasingly rare rush-grass farm

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