French Vintage Wirework Basket with Flared Footed Base

This generous wirework basket held hand towels in Le Marin, the guestroom at Chanteduc, Patricia and Walter's farmhouse and cooking school in Vaison-la-Romaine — a small, considered detail that reflects exactly how Patricia approaches hospitality. A fine piece of French vintage wirework, it is flared and footed, rising from a looped circular base through a tapering body of closely wound wire to a wide, undulating rim finished with coiled detail. The tall, flat handle — tightly wrapped in twisted wire and arching to a gentle peak — is flanked by scrolled wire curls that give the piece real character. The overall tone is a warm, darkened steel-grey, the patina of age and long use. It is a brocante find, part of Patricia's extensive collection of wire baskets gathered over years of market hunting across France. At home, a basket like this earns its keep well beyond the guestroom. Stand it on a bathroom shelf stocked with rolled linen, use it in the kitchen for garlic and shallots, or set it on a garden table holding cut herbs. The decorative handle means it displays beautifully even when empty — a piece that manages to be both genuinely useful and worth looking at.