Tapered sides narrow toward the base, which gives this basket a softer profile than a straight-walled box and makes it a decorative piece as much as a container. Handwoven water hyacinth covers a wire frame, and the footprint runs 16 inches by 11.5 inches with walls 10.5 inches high.
The wire frame underneath is what keeps the taper from collapsing once the basket fills, holding the mouth open while the hyacinth does the visible work. Hand weaving leaves slight irregularities across the surface, and color varies from one piece to the next, which is the nature of a plant fiber rather than a flaw in the finish.
Two round handles sit at the ends, doubling as the graphic detail on an otherwise plain weave and as the grip for moving a loaded basket between rooms. Because the rings stand clear of the body, a hand slides in without pressing against the contents, even when the basket is full to the rim.
At 10.5 inches high the walls hold throw blankets, magazines, or rolled towels upright without swallowing them entirely, so the contents stay part of the display. The 16 by 11.5 inch base sits flat on a hearth, a closet shelf, or the floor beside a reading chair without overhanging the edge.
Handwoven water hyacinth basket standing 17 inches tall, open at the top for blankets beside a sofa.
Seagrass stair basket shaped to sit across two steps, 16 inches deep, with two carrying handles.
