Enjoy the beauty of utility with this coveted wild grape basket
Like a pearl necklace or a special watch, there are things we dream of owning one day, and one of those things is a wild grape basket. I got my hands on one in 2019. When I visited Michinoku Vine Crafts in Yonezawa, Yamagata, I came across a basket woven from thin vines that I had never seen before.
Wild grape vines are harvested deep in the mountains, even in places without paths, which can be dangerous. It is also painstaking work for artisans to cut the hard, thick vines into thin strips by hand. I was completely captivated by the baskets that were finally completed after so much care, so I decided to have them make one for me.
The basket is large enough to fit an A4-sized document folded in half, and I chose the shape based on the items I would normally carry: a wallet, cell phone, water bottle, hand towel, paperback book, sunglasses, etc. It's not too big or too small, and while it's practical, it also looks beautiful in the hand. This basket, which fulfills my wish, is all the more endearing. I look forward to seeing it develop a deep amber color as the oils from my hands soak into it, and I gently stroke it every time I hold it.
