Woven for the journey.

This is the kind of basket that wasn't just carried-it travelled. Slung over the arm of a French woman headed to the Saturday market or loaded gently into the back of a countryside bicycle cart, it was designed to protect whatever mattered most: a wheel of chevre, a parcel of lace, a carefully folded apron or fresh bread still warm from the village oven.

With its rich patina, hand-woven structure and worn leather handles softened by time, this is more than a functional piece-it's a woven memory of French rural lite.

A Basket with a Story

Known in France as a panier de marche, this market basket was likely made between the 1930s and 1950s and used by women travelling to and from local marches. It was built to last, with tightly woven wicker, a domed lid to accommodate bulkier goods and leather straps that buckled closed to keep everything secure en route-whether that journey was by bicycle, foot or train.

The presence of structural support along the base suggests it may have also been used to transport more delicate or valuable items-perhaps textiles, millinery supplies or patisserie goods. It's the kind of practical elegance the French do so well: beauty in the everyday.

Details & Condition

• Origin: France, c. 1930S-195Ods
• Materials: Woven wicker, original leather handles and closures, metal hardware
• Leather handles show visible wear; one is partially cracked but still attached
• Lid opens fully with intact buckles and loops
• Aged patina and minor fraying to wicker consistent with use and age
• Interior clean, with original basketry intact and lightly worn
• approx 13" * 8" * 9"

• This piece has been left exactly as found-no restoration, just honest aging.