Antique East Asian 'Mingei' Style Bamboo and Rattan Flower Basket

Story

Traditional homes in the Meiji and Taisho eras often featured central hearths where smoke would rise and naturally season the bamboo rafters over decades, a process that created the deep, rich 'susudake' patina seen here.

Maker / Origin

While this piece is an unsigned work of folk art, it comes from a long lineage of master basket weavers who treated bamboo as the 'steel of the East.'

Condition & Value

The basket shows honest wear consistent with age, including surface abrasions, minor fraying of the rattan, and some light cracking in the bamboo slats. These signs of use are generally viewed as 'character' in the world of antique basketry and do not significantly detract from its value unless the structure becomes unstable.