An experiment to build the warp beam of an ancient-style, Taiwanese foot loom just out of a bundle of bamboo sticks. With that bundle of thin bamboo sticks joined together we receive a size similar to that of a big bamboo cane (15 cm) like the Paiwan people of Taiwan use. The idea to this experiment came by watching the gap between the bamboo cane-type loom and the modern days used box loom of the Atayal people. We tried to imagine, what had happened inbetween these two models.
….and it works! Of course, this is not a ready to go-model, it‘s just a lab-version. For that both ends of the bundle are fixed differently. While weaving with the bundle, you may feel a hint in your feet, that the idea of this step in the historical development of Atayal foot looms is quite right. Watch how the shape of the bundle turns while pushing into the shape of the box looms!
That may lead to the next step: a hollow bundle loom, where the bamboo sticks are fixed on wheels. But funny how, nowhere is an evidence for that kind of constructions among Atayal or other indigenious people of Taiwan.
But anyhow, it works pretty fine, worth to complete the design and develope further on. Can you imagine to work with a foot loom? Looks quiet difficult, doesn‘t it!? And of course, it takes a portion of discipline, it‘s a bit kind of yoga, but at the end you may be surprised, how much more feetback ;-) you get by a foot loom, you don‘t want to miss afterwards.
LOOM:DESIGN
