A Handful: Baskets

The best in British Isles basketry; Yosemite weaving history; and our favorite everyday basket from Bangladeshi artisans

Baskets! The oldest craft on record. The Met has an Egyptian basket made from palm leaves and grass in its collection, possibly from the 1st century BC, and last year, Spanish archaeologists discovered hunter-gatherer baskets dating back more than 9,000 years. In our fast-paced, always-changing world, there’s something beautifully reassuring about the enduring practice of this ancient craft. Regardless of the technique or geographic location, baskets everywhere are all made by hand with natural materials, and the end result is incessantly useful. Below, some favorite basketry-related finds, from a contemporary basket exhibition in London to an inspiring organization in Portugal with a mission to preserve traditional Portuguese craft, connecting young artists and makers with traditional craftspeople who hold the beautiful future of basketry in their hands.

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A main attraction at the London Design Festival last fall, Join, Assemble, Hold presents The New Craftsmen's singularly comprehensive exhibition of baskets, showcasing impressive woven works by some of Britain’s biggest names in basketmaking. What might initially feel like a contemporary riff on heritage skills, the collection is a celebration of rare and endangered basketry techniques: scuttle baskets; cockle-selling baskets; hazel whiskets; and Tim Johnson’s Caithness Hayve basket, which he originally discovered in 2012 in a private collection on the far north coast of Scotland and spent years researching and practicing, becoming the only professional basketmaker currently making this rare bait-gathering fisherman’s basket. In order to bring attention to the cultural and environmental loss of British woods, which are nearing extinction, many of the makers used endangered materials foraged from storm-felled or sustainable varieties for their forms. These baskets by the greats of British basketmaking are now for sale online, though it should be noted they are sublime works of art and priced accordingly (read: you probably won’t be taking one to the farmer’s market to sling veg). 

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Fun fact for your National Parks travels and trivia: Raise your hand if you know there is a basket museum in Yosemite. We didn’t either! Though it has broadened in scope since opening in 1926, the Yosemite Museum was built explicitly to house a donation of baskets that was donated to the park in 1922. Designed by architect Herbert Maier in the National Park Service’s iconic Rustic Style, it was the very first structure built as a museum in the entire national park system. These days, the museum presents all kinds of exhibits and displays focusing on the heritage and culture of the Ahwahnechee people who lived in the valley, but there’s still a strong basket presence, including this incredible three-foot Miwok basket by Lucy Telles from 1933 (below). And thanks to companion material online, created for a previous exhibition, you can read about the talented indigenous craftswomen who contributed to the long-running basket-making tradition of the Yosemite Valley.

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Passa Ao Futuro is a brilliant organization with a mission to preserve and promote traditional craft in Portugal. As part of an exciting new project with Made In Platform for Contemporary Crafts & Design, they have been documenting and interviewing traditional Portuguese basket weavers at work. You can see the inspiring first snippets on their Instagram, where they will continue to document the research and results of this inspiring residency. Similar to the clever old-meets-new ceramics residency they did a few years ago, traditional craftsmen will be connected to younger designers to create reimagined baskets, pairing new ideas with traditional techniques. Supported by the Portuguese design company De La Espada, this inspirational format is as genius and tender as it gets, and I wish more organizations would approach craft preservation this creatively.

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If you are in the least bit interested in traditional craft, you have very likely heard rumblings about the John C. Campbell Folk School. It’s the hardworking darling of American craft schools, and the place where so many renowned basket makers (and other craftsmen) have learned their trades. Beginner classes, ranging from Modern Appalachian Baskets to Harvest and Weave Vine Baskets, get you an intensive week (or two) of top-notch training from some of the best craft educators in the country, with the add-on option of a modest dorm-style boarding room and dining hall meals in their charming 1930s buildings. It’s where Sandra Kehoe learned to make her beautiful, in-demand willow baskets (full circle, she now teaches an annual class there—hurry, it books up fast!). And the OG craft writer Deborah Needleman—former T Magazine editor-turned basket-maker (hear about it first-hand in this Cabana video)—also spent time at the school. It’s the real deal, and if you have basketweaving aspirations, this is the place, full stop.

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Our favorite sources for everyday baskets for using, not just admiring: Handmade by female artisans across Bangladesh and Fair Trade certified, Maison Bengel baskets are the hardest-working baskets we know. Sturdy handles, locally sourced materials (like the Hogla grasses used to make our favorite collection), and extremely affordable. We especially love the deep Hogla picnic basket and use it for everything. Additionally, there’s an utterly adorable shop in London called Straw dedicated to, you guessed it!, carrying one-of-a-kind vintage baskets that sell out fast; an oversized Moroccan palm market basket with extra-long cotton/linen straps; and a collection of non-basket-y home goods, like the sweet terra cotta pots and lampshades with a ruffled edge in the shop window above.

—Meghan McEwen