intangible cultural heritage

Plaiting

area : Srce Slowenije
category : traditional craftmanship
Plaiting belongs among the oldest crafts in Slovenia. Plaiting-related knowledge spread from generation to generation and since the 19th century this has been helped by plaiting courses and schools. Today plaiting is among the best preserved and wide-spread home crafts; nevertheless, it functions exclusively at the self-taught and local levels. During the Easter holidays, plaiting products, in particular wicker baskets are most desired. Tončka Jemec from Petelinje near Dolsko plaits baskets and narrow, two-handled bags, usually of straw, and is famous among those who still preserve the ancient plaiting tradition.
Tončka Jemec or, informally, Jeršinova Tončka, was born in 1931 in the village of Petelinje where she has lived until this day. She is known far and wide for her quality basketry. She plaits from willow, which she learnt from her mother and father. Her mother had learnt basketry skills from her father and the latter from his brothers who have gained the knowledge in the basketry school in Dolsko, established around 1900. Tončka remembers that in times past the most demanded products were the baskets people carried on their backs since “everything had to be reaped and cut by hand and then carried home”. Her grand-father made baskets, “such baskets that used to be carried on the head or for milk when women transported it to Ljubljana on wooden carts”. Willow-plaited baskets were needed for everyday jobs.

Her products are made from natural materials. Tončka cuts some material and thin strips of wood at home, some are brought by her neighbours. Willow is an ideal material, in particular if it is cut every year: one year old rods are the best as it is without knots. Willow is cut in spring, then it is peeled, dried and sorted as to its thickness. Already in summer or autumn thick rods can be cleft into vitre, in three or four parts. Tončka uses a hand-operated machine to do this. Until the preparation of thin strips of wood, to wit, vitre, the work is done “in dry”; however, plaiting required the material to be wet so that it became pliable. Tončka plaits in winter only. She sits down in a chair, places vitre and rods on the floor and starts plaiting. A single basket requires plenty of work. Last year she made a lot of small baskets for a sewing kit. She keeps her baskets for herself, sometimes she makes one or two per order. Her favourites are the baskets for Easter, She is very innovative in her work since there are always those special wishes which she considers a challenge to her creativity, quite often she has an idea herself. Thus not only she preserves traditional plaiting but she develops it and fits it with new details as well.

From 1987 to 1994 Tončka was a mentor of plaiting as an extracurricular activity at the elementary school of Dolsko. The interest was quite substantial: every time 20 to 40 students gathered. They made baskets which were later exhibited. Children took up plaiting but on rare occasions, not even at home as they did not have adequate tools at home (machines for thin strips of wood, willow rods etc.): children got those tools at the extracurricular activity. In 1990 Tončka was awarded a top recognition by the Chamber of Craft of Slovenia and was given the title of master craftswoman of handicraft. In 2000, she was awarded another recognition called gold tendril. Locals too, are proud of Tončka and her products. This is why she was made an honorary citizen of the municipality of Dol near Ljubljana.

Tončka says “that there is no profit in the craftsman\'s profession, it is not worthwhile from this point of view”. For the last 50 years and more, crafts in Slovenia have been neglected. Nowadays the crafts are slowly reviving, people begin to respect hand made, quality and traditional products more: thus, craftsmen are encouraged in their vocational endeavours.

links

The Heart of Slovenia
Development Centre Litija
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