Ms. Havadi learned how to weave with the leaves of maize from her grandmother. As a child, she would often watch for hours and then gradually start doing it herself. Today she mainly weaves coasters and small baskets from corn leaves.
It is important for this craft that the leaves are nice and long and that they are soft. These characteristics distinguish the old, local and non-hybrid maize variety that has been sown and harvested year after year in the region for centuries. The leaves of hybrid maize varieties, for which new seeds have to be bought every year, cannot be used for braiding because they are too short and brittle.
This old maize variety grows in the garden of Emese Havadi’s parents Borbála and Istvan Simon in Chendu (Central Romania). After harvesting the corn on the cob, the leaves are dried and partially bleached. Just before Emese begins to braid, she moistens the leaves with water. This makes them nicely soft and flexible and can therefore be used for the weaving.
To get the cord required for braiding / weaving, one corn leaf is connected to the next by twisting it. This process is very similar to spinning wool. On a wooden form with nails inserted, she spans a net and then braids out the gaps. At the end she pulls out the nails and removes the finished wickerwork from the wooden form.
Complete. From the right maize leaves, a by-product of maize cultivation and nothing else!
Bigger orders are done with the help of her mother, aunts and neighbors.
Gefilmt in Chendu. Produziert & editiert in Wien.
fgruber.com – digital media productions
2018
Ms. Havadi learned how to weave with the leaves of maize from her grandmother. As a child, she would often watch for hours and then gradually start doing it herself. Today she mainly weaves coasters and small baskets from corn leaves.
It is important for this craft that the leaves are nice and long and that they are soft. These characteristics distinguish the old, local and non-hybrid maize variety that has been sown and harvested year after year in the region for centuries. The leaves of hybrid maize varieties, for which new seeds have to be bought every year, cannot be used for braiding because they are too short and brittle.
This old maize variety grows in the garden of Emese Havadi’s parents Borbála and Istvan Simon in Chendu (Central Romania). After harvesting the corn on the cob, the leaves are dried and partially bleached. Just before Emese begins to braid, she moistens the leaves with water. This makes them nicely soft and flexible and can therefore be used for the weaving.
To get the cord required for braiding / weaving, one corn leaf is connected to the next by twisting it. This process is very similar to spinning wool. On a wooden form with nails inserted, she spans a net and then braids out the gaps. At the end she pulls out the nails and removes the finished wickerwork from the wooden form.
Complete. From the right maize leaves, a by-product of maize cultivation and nothing else!
Bigger orders are done with the help of her mother, aunts and neighbors.