Monday, July 30, 2007

Baskets: When Plastic Bins Just Won't Do

showroom of Heather Shaw, basketmaker

Baskets are one way my fondness for beautiful storage and supporting independent craftspeople can come together. Here are just a few I've come across. And since I have readers around the world, this quick basket tour will go to various countries.

The picture above is the New Zealand showroom of Heather Shaw, who makes willow baskets.


baskets for produce display, from France

The Cooperative Vannerie de Villaines (site in French and English) has a wide range of willow baskets, some intended for professional use, such as these produce baskets.


Irish willow basket by Joe Hogan

Joe Hogan makes Irish willow baskets to order.


linen basket / laundry basket / hamper

David Hembrow of Cambridge makes English willow baskets. This is a linen basket for dirty laundry.


basket from Arran, Scotland

Julie Gurr's willow baskets are made on the Isle of Arran off the West Coast of Scotland. She says this one is a pilgrim basket, used by the ancients to keep the severed heads of the invading Saxons nice and fresh before boiling up, eating, then impaling on stakes. Price: 2 Turnips and a half bag of goat dung. (Her other baskets are not described so fancifully, and show more traditional prices.)


black ash basket with wooden bottom

Coming back to the USA, and moving beyond willow baskets, we have black ash baskets made by Fran. Some of them, like the one above, have a wooden bottom.


painted black ash basket by Jonathan Kline

Jonathan Kline also makes lovely black ash baskets, with both painted (as shown) and natural finishes.


Nantucket basket

And then there are the Nantucket Baskets. The one above is from Nantucket Basket Works, but there are lovely options from many sources, including All Tucker'd Out and Simply Nantucket Baskets.


tabletop basket

Sharon Dugan makes stunning baskets from the trees of New England.


basket from Panama - two views

And for something totally different - women of the Wounaan and Emberá tribes make amazing baskets from the fibers of the nahuala plant and chunga palm which grow the Darién Rainforest of Panamá.

To explore further, you might check out the extensive resources on the Basketmakers web site.

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