Early 20th Century Chinese Willow Basket

A Japanese Ikebana basket woven by bamboo artist Abe Motoshi (Japanese, b. 1942). Constructed with Madake bamboo and rattan with technique of o...

A Japanese Ikebana basket woven by bamboo artist Abe Motoshi (Japanese, b. 1942). In an organic vase form with elegant, curved wall with reinfo...

A large and impressive Japanese basket in the form of a morikago by Maeda Chikubosai I (1872-1950) circa first half of the 20th century. Chikubosai I was from the Kansai Region and active in Sakai, Osaka prefecture. He was instructed by Wada Waichisai I, (1851-1901). Morikago is a shallow open basket with handle. It was traditionally used to display fruits, sometimes flowers, during Sencha tea ceremony. In contrast to Chanoyu, Sencha ceremony uses loose green tea leaves instead of tea powder. The placement of loose fruits in the basket meant that the pattern of the bottom, which is often elaborate, was meant to be visible. This morikago was beautifully constructed with bent bamboo frame and twill plaits for the body. The bottom of the basket features a double diamond pattern achieved with a variation of plover plait. The bifurcated handles was bundle-plated with a rather free spirit approach. They show a poetic suggestion of movement, as if the bamboos were still swaying in the wind. The basket has a copper insert that fits perfectly and it is quite possibly the original. The basket is signed on the base "Chikubosai". The style of the signature shows that it was made by Maeda Chikubosai I. For another Morikago basket by Maeda Chikubosai I, see page 79 of "Masters of Bamboo" by Rinne. For the study of the signature of Chikubosai I "Baskets Master Pieces of Japanese Bamboo Art...

A Japanese woven bamboo basket with handle from early 20th century, circa end of Meiji to Taisho period. The basket was constructed in the form o...

Centuries ago, a woven reed fisherman’s basket such as this would have been common in rural China as an everyday item, used until it became worn through. This 19th-century example re...

Asian woven grain & rice basket

Centuries ago, a woven reed fisherman’s basket such as this would have been common in rural China as an everyday item, used until it became worn through. This hand-woven example rema...

Centuries ago, a woven reed fisherman’s basket such as this would have been common in rural China as an everyday item, used until it became worn through. This hand-woven example rema...