French Vintage Wirework Basket with Flared Footed Base

This generous wirework basket held hand towels in *Le Marin*, the guestroom at Chanteduc, Patricia and Walter's farmhouse and cooking school in Vaison-la-Romaine — a small, considered detail that reflects exactly how Patricia approaches hospitality. A fine piece of French vintage wirework, it is flared and footed, rising from a looped circular base through a tapering body of closely wound wire to a wide, undulating rim finished with coiled detail. The tall, flat handle — tightly wrapped in twisted wire and arching to a gentle peak — is flanked by scrolled wire curls that give the piece real character. The overall tone is a warm, darkened steel-grey, the patina of age and long use. It is a brocante find, part of Patricia's extensive collection of wire baskets gathered over years of market hunting across France. At home, a basket like this earns its keep well beyond the guestroom. Stand it on a bathroom shelf stocked with rolled linen, use it in the kitchen for garlic and shallots, or set it on a garden table holding cut herbs. The decorative handle means it displays beautifully even when empty — a piece that manages to be both genuinely useful and worth looking at.