Vintage French Style Willow Gathering Basket

[d]Dimensions | 19.5 in. W x 7.5 in. H x [depth from Sami] in. D, 16.5 in. H overall including the handle

[d]Surface | Original surface, unrestored, dry with no wax or finish applied

[d]Primary Material | Willow, peeled and unpeeled rods used together

[d]Period | Vintage

[d]Style or Movement | French country, no formal style

[d]Also Known As | panier, gathering basket, harvest basket

[d]Maker, Mark, or Attribution | Unmarked, no maker identifiable

[d]Construction or Technique | Hand woven over upright stakes, randed weave to the body, rolled and plaited border to the rim, slath base, bent willow handle lashed to the rim at both sides with willow ties

[d]Secondary Material | None

[d]Hardware or Mounts | None, no nails, wire, or metal anywhere in the construction

[condition]

This basket was used and it looks it, so please read this carefully before you buy.

The rim is the main issue. Along the top border several of the wide weavers have split lengthwise and lifted away from the plait, and at one corner a group of them has broken and now stands proud of the rim with sharp splintered ends. Those ends will catch on fabric and skin. Elsewhere around the rim the plaiting has loosened and individual rods sit slightly out of line.

Across the body, many of the rods have lost patches of their outer skin, leaving lighter bare wood showing through in irregular blotches. That's normal for old willow and it's a large part of why the surface looks the way it does, but it is loss, not just color.

The willow is dry throughout. A few short stub ends and broken weaver tips poke out here and there on the sides and inside the basket. On the interior floor several rods show the same skin loss, and one or two run slightly loose.

Structurally the basket is sound. The base is intact and sits flat, the stakes are all present, the handle is firm and both lashings hold. Nothing is missing that would stop it holding its shape or its contents.

There is no lid, no lining, and no maker's mark anywhere on the piece.

Please review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.