The material most consistently associated with Adriatic coastal workshops is Arundo donax, known locally as canna. This tall perennial grass grows in dense stands along riverbanks, drainage channels, and the margins of coastal wetlands throughout the Po Delta and the low-lying areas of Emilia-Romagna. Its stems, which can reach several metres in height, are hollow, relatively lightweight, and — once dried — rigid enough to serve as structural elements in a basket without additional reinforcement.
Preparing the Cane
Harvesting takes place in late autumn, after the aerial parts of the plant have matured and begun to dry naturally. Stems are cut at ground level and bundled immediately to prevent moisture from re-entering cut ends. In smaller workshops, drying is done outdoors in covered but ventilated storage — typically a lean-to structure against a south-facing wall — over several weeks.
Once dry, stems are sorted by diameter. Thicker stems, from around 12 to 20 mm, are split lengthways and used for the base and the staking rods that form the vertical framework of a basket. Thinner stems and offcuts are used for weavers — the flexible elements that interlace with the stakes.
Before weaving, both stakes and weavers are soaked in water for a period that varies with the thickness of the material and the ambient temperature. The goal is to restore enough flexibility to allow bending without cracking, while avoiding saturation that would cause material to split unpredictably under tension. Experienced workers judge readiness by the tactile response of the rod when flexed, not by a fixed time interval.
Building the Base
The base of a standard round basket begins with a cross of stakes: two groups of rods laid at right angles to one another, held at the centre by a tight pairing weave. In the coastal workshops of the Po Delta, it is common to use an odd number of stakes in the base cross — this produces an automatic alternation in subsequent rows without having to introduce an extra stake, a technique suited to the slightly irregular surface texture of split cane.
As the base expands, stakes are splayed outward in a controlled fan. The weaver passes alternately over and under adjacent stakes, pulling inward slightly with each pass to maintain tension. Once the base reaches the intended diameter, the stakes are bent upward — either over a wooden form or by hand, depending on the workshop — to begin the side walls.
Raising the Sides: Waling
The transition from base to side is marked by several rows of waling, a weave pattern in which three or more weavers work simultaneously, each passing in front of two stakes and behind one. Waling compresses and consolidates the base edge and provides a firm starting point for the side walls. In coastal workshops, four-rod waling is the standard at this junction; it produces a visually distinct horizontal band that is also structural, resisting the tendency of the base to lose its circular form under the tension of subsequent rows.
Side weaving in the standard Adriatic plain weave alternates a single weaver over and under successive stakes. The weaver is joined when it runs out by overlapping the new rod alongside the old for at least four stakes before the old rod is trimmed. The overlap is placed on the inside of the basket to keep the exterior surface even.
Shaping During Work
The angle at which stakes are held during side weaving determines whether the basket walls lean inward, remain vertical, or flare outward. In the coastal tradition, working containers such as fish baskets are typically worked with a slight inward lean to increase the rigidity of the finished piece. Decorative or storage baskets are more often worked upright or with a moderate outward flare that widens toward the opening.
Stakes are kept at the correct angle by periodic tapping with a flat-headed weaving tool — a simple wooden implement rather than a metal one, to avoid marking the surface of the cane. Workers familiar with the material adjust pressure by touch, responding to the resistance of individual rods whose diameter or dryness may vary slightly even within a single bundle.
Finishing the Border
The border closes the top of the basket and secures the stake ends. Several border styles are found in the Adriatic coastal tradition, of which the most common are the trac border and the foot border (also used at the top in some workshop variants). In the trac border, each stake is bent down behind the next stake, in front of two stakes, and then behind one stake before being tucked into the weaving. The sequence varies slightly between workshops, but the underlying logic — using the stakes themselves to bind each other — is consistent.
After the border is complete, stake ends protruding on the inside are trimmed flush. Handles, if included, are fitted by inserting pre-soaked rods alongside existing stakes and wrapping them to the border in a figure-of-eight pattern. Working containers typically use a rope or cord handle rather than a woven one, as it is more resistant to the mechanical stress of daily use.
Differences from Inland Traditions
Inland weaving traditions in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy rely more heavily on cultivated willow and less on wild-harvested reed. The presence of Arundo donax as a primary material in coastal workshops introduces constraints and possibilities that are not present in willow work. Reed is harder to join at mid-rod than willow, which is more uniformly tapered; this influences where joins are placed and how many rows are worked between them. Reed also requires slightly different soaking times and responds less predictably to changes in humidity after the basket is finished, which is why coastal workshops historically applied a light coating of beeswax or linseed oil to finished pieces intended for outdoor use.
References
Information on basket weaving techniques draws on: