Antique French Wire Salad Rinsing Basket with Handle

An antique French wire salad-rinsing basket from the courtyard at Chanteduc, part of Patricia Wells’s personal collection. Patricia explains, "This is an antique salad-rinsing basket. Use the handle to shake off water (use outside!). I love these and have collected them over the years. Many were originally made for drying salad, and I found them all at brocantes. I fill them with rocks collected in the mountains, choosing lovely flat ones so I can write each guest’s name on them as place cards." Formed in sturdy iron wire, it is built in concentric rings with riveted cross-braces and a practical handle. The surface shows a handsome, time-earned oxidation in deep brown tones, with small irregularities that speak to handwork and long service. Shallow and open, it sits easily in two hands and is light enough to swing by the handle. Utilitarian and elegant, it feels at home in Patricia’s kitchens and gardens between Paris and Provence. Use it as intended for rinsing just-picked greens outdoors, or bring it inside for fruit, linens, or a market harvest. On a garden table, follow Patricia’s lead and fill it with smooth mountain stones inscribed with guests’ names. A useful object with honest patina and true provenance from a life devoted to cooking, teaching, and generous hospitality.