Limoges Basket Boxes
The Cottage Shop offers a variety of Limoges Basket Boxes. Basketry is an ancient art which consists of interweaving fibers, twigs, grasses and various other materials to create a container. Many cultures place basketry among their creation myths. In ancient Mesopotamia mythology, they believed the creation of the earth involved a reed mat. The god Marduk of Babylon plaited a wicker hurdle on the surface of the waters which was the base in which land was created. In West Africa, the Dogon believe that their first ancestor received a square bottom basket with a round mouth that served as a model in which the world system was built. The round base represented the sun and the square bottom represented the sky. Many cultures associate baskets with females. Native women were bearers and gatherers while men were hunters. In eastern Paraguay, the Guayaki Indian women are considered bearers and when a woman dies, her last basket is burned in a ritual to represent her burden dying with her.
The Limoges Chicken Basket Box is designed with a textured bottom and a nest style top. This item would make an adorable gift for Easter!
The Limoges 3 Rabbits in Basket Box has 3 adorable rabbits nestled together in a basket and would be a great gift for mothers.
The Limoges Plums Basket Box is painted to show the textured details of the basket. This popular item would complement any collection!
Basketry style differs through the centuries and between cultures. Traces of baskets were found in the Egyptian pyramids. The oldest basketry found in Egypt dates back to the Neolithic period. Basketry found in excavations had the coil technique which was popular among Egyptians households. The coil technique involves winding up the fiber like a snake while stitching it every quarter of an inch or so. The Native Americans of the southwestern area of the US have long used the coiling technique. When explorers traveled to new lands, they traded goods that were contained in baskets. In West Africa, the art of coiling with sweetgrass was born centuries ago. It was brought to the U.S. with the African slaves and is still practiced today by their descendents. In Asia, splint weaving is a technique that uses flat materials like reed and cane. These materials are found in the rainforest of Indonesia. The vines of the calamus rotang are transported by barge to ports where they can export to China. In East Asia, twined basketry fashioned out of thin strips of bamboo are used as fish traps and cages.
The Limoges Roses and Blue Flowers Gold Grid Basket Box is painted in a gold lattice design with flowers strategically placed inside the grids.
The Limoges Sailboat Picnic Basket with Plates Box is painted with a beautiful beach scene with a 3D porcelain sailboat on top. This item includes 4 porcelain plates that are each painted with their own nautical image.
The Limoges 3 Wine Bottles Basket Box is a romantic gift for those who enjoy a variety of wine. This item includes 3 porcelain wine bottles in a basket with a blue and white cloth draped inside.
The Limoges Venice Picnic Basket Box has a luring scene of a gondola in the canal of Venice and includes porcelain plates with detailed images, spoons, glasses and a blanket.
Baskets have evolved to decorative possibilities. Their vast contrasting colors and textures make them popular and influenced other art forms. The unique braided designs have been reproduced as wood, metal and clay. In the Central African Congo, there have been notable examples of interlacing decorations carved on wood. Frankish artisans in the Merovingian period created basketry motifs engraved into metalwork. In 18th century Europe, molded basketwork designs were developed to decorate porcelain.
The Limoges Sewing Basket with Dress and Scissors Box is an intricate designed and painted reproduction of basketwork and includes miniature sewing supplies.
The Limoges Fruit Basket Box with Apple has painted bananas and cherries, a crafted metal handle and includes a porcelain apple.
The Limoges Black and White Puppy in Wicker Basket Box is a sweet gift for a child of any age. This porcelain puppy is laying comfortably in his wicker basket bed.
Baskets are continued to be used all over the world. They are consistently used for receptacles for preparing and serving food. Sometimes close plaiting baskets are even coated with a waterproof solution in order to hold liquids. Amazonian Indians use baskets in extracting toxic juices from manioc pulp. Africans use them for beer making. Japan uses baskets with meshes to strain tea.
The Limoges Blue Oriental Style Basket with A Rose is designed in an open style with cherry blossoms painted around the base.
The Limoges Carrots and Radish Wicker Basket Box has 3D porcelain radish and carrots on top with a crafted rabbit clasp.
The Limoges Eggplant, Peppers Wicker Basket Box has 3D porcelain leek, red peppers and eggplant on top with painted vegetable leaves.
The Limoges Gift Basket with Cheese and Wine Box has multicolored details and includes various 3D porcelain produce and a wine bottle.