Description

This beautiful basket is entirely handwoven on a manual loom. It is made of soft rush with a fuchsia and forest green pattern. The handles and strap closure are made of vegetable tanned leather. There is an organic cotton lining inside that has a pocket at each side for your phone/keys... you name it. We love this as a purse or used in the home to hold projects or anything that a basket is handy for. A beautiful piece! This also makes a great gift.

11.5" wide, 7" tall (not including handle height), 6" deep

Wild soft rush/vegetable tanned leather/organic cotton. Handmade in Portugal.

Toino Abel was founded in its modern incarnation by Nuno Henriques in 2010  - he is the 5th generation in his family working with this ancient craft. Nuno was living in Berlin, when he decided to move back to his grandparents' village and home in Portugal to revive this great basket making tradition. At that time, the only people who knew how to make this style of basketry were in their later years and many had passed away. Without their know how, this traditional way of making would have been lost. Nuno learned from a few of them and created a workshop in the back of his new home. The soft rush is all sourced locally, not far from the village and any extra material is composted. Toino Abel uses only vegetable tanned leather and ecological certified cotton. An artist himself, Nuno designs the collection and merges nature, design and folk culture. The collection is made by a small team of master craftsmen and women.

We met Nuno in his charming village while on a family trip in Portugal. We had known about his work, but were propelled to visit him through mutual friends. We looked him up and without calling, made the 2 hour journey by car. We found the address and were a little unsure as to where we should knock or if anyone was even there! After a little investigating we finally found someone who said, oh yes!  please come to the back. This is where we found Nuno working away in his beautiful workshop overlooking the garden of his family home. He so kindly gave us a tour and told us about how he works and how he is very happy to have brought this tradition back to this village. It supports the community and gives real living wages to those who work with him. He has innovated the looms so the labor isn't so intensive on the body. Nuno's whole project is really special and we feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet him at his workshop <3