Large Antique Chinese Engagement/Wedding Wicker Basket with Lid

This basket has been through several generations of our family since being purchased in China in the 1920s or 1930s. It was used to store precious textiles and was an understated accent piece in our mother’s living room.
 
These were traditionally used in the engagement period, when a groom would fill two baskets with dowry gifts for the bride and her family, carrying them via a pole over his shoulder to her family. Gifts, always in even numbers, may have included food, sewing materials, and red sheets for the wedding night (red a symbol of joy, prosperity and love in China).
 
This piece features hand-painted red, blue and green bands, a strong handle, tight woven reeds, and a very interesting base. We understand the material used was thin strips of bamboo, died a deep brown or red. Ours includes the maker’s signature as shown in photos.
 
The lid fits snugly when eased into place, although due to its age, we do not recommend using it for storage of items you need to access regularly – as shown in photos, the straps that line the top and bottom where they meet are falling out and there is one encircling strip around the circumference of the bottom basket that has come loose and needs to be held in place to put the top back on. There is age related crackling in the paint below the handle as also shown in photos. There are some loose reeds elsewhere and some spots both on top and inside the lid. It could use some cleaning and special treatment in a new home. Ideally, it should be kept out of the sun.
 
Comparables found online were all much smaller. Pricing by appraiser.
 
Approximately H 19” x Diameter 19”
6.2 lbs
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.