Reference Number: Z12478

Vintage 20th Century Italian pair of bamboo baskets, attributable to Gabriella Crespi. One basket of polygonal form constructed from closely laid horizontal bamboo with a slender structural framework. A dark patinated brass rim follows the architectural outline of the basket and incorporates a pair of loop handles mounted on the shaped brass plates. The second is a generously proportioned round basket with flared sides and a broad rolled brass rim. Closely woven horizontal reeds are secured by vertical bamboo bindings. The circular construction continues through the interior and base creating a concentric pattern when viewed from above. Although different in form, the two baskets relate beautifully through their materials, craftsmanship and warm honey-colored surfaces. The combination of bamboo and brass is strongly evocative of the sophisticated natural material designs associated with Gabriella Crespi and Italian decorative arts of the 1970s.