On Friday the 30th of August our class headed out and visited the Musée de I’Homme. While visiting this museum we were instructed to find an object in the gallery and try to modify our item to change the value of what it used to be, into something that would have value in today’s society. While wandering around the museum and taking notes on many different objects I found a collection/ series of multiple unique handwoven plates that were originally from the Sarahan oases. After taking photos and reading the information  I had learnt that the colonization and industrialisation of the Maghreb countries led to the importation of new objects and materials from Europe. The materials and elements from these countries were initially distributed in the cities and were adopted by the inhabitants of the oases from the 1950s. The palm wicker works craft, typical of these regions, has evolved into now introducing plastic and aluminium, which I believe is to ensure a stronger and more reliable structure.

After the visit, I came home and sketched up some ideas on how these materials could be used today, such as a bag, a vase, a decorative basket or even a plant pot. All these items would have a rather similar base for construction. They would consist of an aluminium wired outline then followed by the woven wool and plant materials to help strengthen and colourise. After these initial steps have been completed I would proceed to use a plastic or plant-based material to line the interior of the bag/vase to protect it from wearing out and provide as insulation. Rough sketches of these designs can be seen in the images below.