Antique French hand woven rye coil bread basket – early 1900s

A beautiful antique French bread basket, hand woven from tightly coiled rye straw and dating from the early 1900s.

These traditional French baskets, often referred to as bannetons, were part of everyday country life. They were used during bread making and for storing or cooling freshly baked loaves.

This is a particularly lovely example with a rich, naturally aged patina and beautifully tight hand weaving. It remains in good condition for its considerable age, with a few small areas of wear and the occasional little "nibble", all consistent with more than a century of use.

Old rye and straw baskets like this are increasingly difficult to find in good condition. Many disappeared through years of hard household use, and others were burned for fuel during periods of shortage and wartime.

The basket has been gently washed in soapy water and dried naturally in the warm French sun.

A wonderfully authentic piece of French country history, it is still very usable today and would make a beautiful bread or fruit basket, or simply a decorative piece in a rustic kitchen.

Early 1900s.

Diameter – 13" / 33 cm
Height – 4.75" / 12 cm
Weight – 1 lb 6 oz / 634 g

EU shipping: $17
International shipping: $32
France: Lower rate calculated at checkout.

US ORDERS: Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are calculated at checkout and shown separately from shipping.

As with all genuine antique pieces, signs of age and previous use form part of its history and character.