Khasi-Jaintia Bamboo & Cane Craft
Split cane and bamboo plaited into baskets, stools, mats and the conical shield-basket of the hills.
The Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya have a deep tradition of cane and bamboo work, a universal village skill rather than a specialist trade. Households make the conical carrying basket (khoh) slung from the forehead, winnowing and drying trays, granary and storage baskets, fish traps, the round cane stool (murah), mats, hats, umbrellas, and cane and bamboo furniture and containers. The border markets and Shillong's craft outlets carry the work to a wider market.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Shillong, Meghalaya
Also Known As
Meghalaya cane and bamboo craft, Khasi-Jaintia basketry
Craft Type
Cane and bamboo basketry and furniture
Practising Community
Khasi and Jaintia (Pnar) village households; a large share of the weaving is done by men
Materials
Several bamboo species and split cane (rattan); a dao knife for splitting and shaving; cane strips for lashing; and smoke or, on some items, a light varnish for finish.
Known For
Carrying baskets (khoh), winnowing trays, stools (murah), mats, and cane furniture and containers
Where It's Made
The Khasi and Jaintia Hills around Shillong, Nongstoin, Jowai and the border markets of Meghalaya
Time to Create
One to three days per basket; longer for furniture
GI Status
Not GI-registered as a group; the region's cane and bamboo crafts are widely promoted
Process Steps
Selecting and cutting the material
Bamboo of the right age and cane are cut from village groves and forest for the item to be made.
Splitting and shaving
Bamboo is split lengthwise and shaved to flat strips or fine slivers with a dao; cane is split and scraped smooth.
Making the base or frame
The base of a basket is plaited, or a cane hoop frame is bent and lashed for a stool or container.
Weaving the body
Strips are woven in hexagonal, twill or check plait, worked from the base upward over a mould or by eye.
Shaping
The weave is drawn in or flared to give the basket, stool or tray its final form.
Binding the rim
The rim and any joints are wrapped and lashed tightly with split cane so the piece holds together under load.
Finishing
The piece is trimmed, and often smoked over a fire to darken it and make it insect- and damp-resistant.
Technique Glossary
Khoh
The conical Khasi carrying basket, slung from a headband so the load rides on the back.
Murah
A low round stool of woven cane over a bent-cane frame, common across Meghalaya.
Dao
The all-purpose hill knife used to fell, split and shave cane and bamboo.
Hexagonal weave
An open basketry structure of strips crossing at three angles, strong and light, used for carrying baskets.
Twill plait
A weave in which each strip passes over and under two or more, giving a diagonal, close pattern.
Cane lashing
Binding rims and joints by wrapping them tightly with thin split cane.
Smoke curing
Hanging finished basketry over a hearth so smoke darkens it and deters insects and rot.
A Craft Through Time
Pre-modern
A universal village skill
Khasi and Jaintia households split and weave cane and bamboo for houses, tools, carrying and storage.
19th–early 20th century
Contact and trade
Border markets and colonial contact carry the region's basketry into wider trade.
20th century
Emporia and craft centres
State emporia and craft programmes promote furniture, decorative baskets and lampshades.
Late 20th century
Self-help groups
Cooperatives and women's groups add product design and market links for cane and bamboo goods.
Present
Domestic and decorative
The craft continues as both an everyday household skill and a small commercial sector for the tourist and export market.
Did You Know?
The Khasi khoh basket is carried on the back with a strap across the forehead, not the shoulders, so a person can climb the steep hill paths with both hands free and a heavy load balanced behind.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.