Vintage French Wicker Bread Basket with Patterned Cotton Lining 11¾"

A vintage French wicker bread basket from the everyday tables at Chanteduc, Patricia Wells’s home in Provence. From her personal collection and used for countless meals, it carries the warmth of shared bread and conversation. Patricia explains, “It’s very Provençal and light, so it’s easy to pass bread or croissants around the table!” Handwoven in honey-toned wicker, the basket shows a neat braided rim and airy vertical staves, with a gentle, honest patina from daily use. The interior is lined with indiennes cotton, the traditional Indian-style printed cloth of Provence. Indiennes, meaning Indian-style printed cottons, reached France in the 17th century through maritime trade, were restricted in the late 1600slargely to protect its silk, wool and linen industries, then revived in 1759 and became a hallmark of Provençal workshops. Set it to work at the table for bread service or croissants, or press it into daily duty on a kitchen counter for fruit. By the grill it neatly corrals folded linens, and on a console it gathers herbs and market finds. A useful, well-traveled piece from a life shaped by gardens, shared tables and the pleasures of Provence.