Storage Basket with Lid

Dimensions:

• Basket: 24.5cm x 22cm x 11.5cm / 9 ⅝" x 8 ⅝" x 4½"
• with lid: 26.5cm x 23cm x 12cm / 10½" x 9" x 4¾"

Ivonne, is one of very few remaining basket weavers from a small village on the banks of the river Bío Bío in Central Chile. She continues to harvest 'coirón' and 'chupón', two indigenous fibrous plants found in local native woodlands and pastures, which she then strips, washes and dries, before weaving tightly together to form sturdy, utilitarian baskets, decorated with characteristically brightly-colored strips.

This ancient craft, handed down through generations from Mapuche ancestors, is increasingly under threat, both from the destruction of native forests by large scale commercial forestry initiatives, and also through the exodus of young people to the cities in search of more lucrative employment. Every year, Ivonne has to travel further and further afield from her home in order to find enough plant material to continue her craft.

By purchasing one of these attractive baskets you will be helping to provide an important source of income for Ivonne and her family, encouraging the continuation of this craft into the next generation.