Rare antique wooden basket, retro vintage / 20th century

Rare antique wooden basket made from chestnut strips. Period: Early 20th century. Total height (with handle): 33 cm. Height (without handle): 19.5 cm. Width: 21 cm. Length: 37 cm. Very sturdy (also used for carrying logs). Lovingly cleaned, just a few stains and small cracks due to its age. Carefully packaged and shipped the same day. Rare antique wooden basket made from chestnut strips. Period: Early 20th century. Total height (with handle): 33 cm. Height (without handle): 19.5 cm. Width: 21 cm. Length: 37 cm. Rare gathering basket from southwest France with a very interesting history. The baskets were entirely handmade and required hours of meticulous work. First, branches from a young chestnut tree were gathered in the autumn and early winter. The wood was left to dry outdoors for a while to give the bark a slightly weathered appearance. To separate the bark from the wood, the branches were carefully baked in the home oven (these baskets weren't made for commercial purposes; they were used by local workers as a form of trade for other goods). The bark was then carefully separated from the wood into thin strips and woven to form the still-warm and pliable basket. Very few of these baskets were made exclusively by men (the work was considered too strenuous for women) and were used as gifts for family and friends or, as I mentioned, in exchange for other necessities. It was a craft passed down through generations as families gathered around the fire during the long, cold winter months. This art form declined in popularity by 1925. Folk art at its finest. The basket is in perfect condition, lovingly cleaned, with just a few signs of wear due to its age. Careful shipping is available on the day of your order.