Antique Chinese wooden basket with iron straps, of square plan and plain faces, reinforced at the edges, corners and base with hand-forged iron straps and finished with an iron handle on one side. It originates from China, from the late Qing period, where this type of vessel — known as a dou (斗) — was used as a standardised grain measure in northern rural markets and granaries.
Grain measures were part of the daily equipment of Chinese agricultural commerce until the early twentieth century. The iron-strapped examples answered the demands of intensive use in open-air markets: the metal reinforcement protected the edges from the repeated impact of the scoop and the corners from wear under load. Each granary or guild marked its pieces with a punch or its own numbering.
It is built in solid wood, with boards joined by exposed dovetail at the four corners. The straps run from top to bottom, fastened with hand-forged square-headed nails, and extend in flanges folded over the base to keep the boards from lifting. The lateral handle, in twisted iron, retains its original anchoring and allows the basket to be carried in one hand.
The patina is warm and honest, with the wood darkened by decades of handling, stable rust on the straps and small dents revealing prolonged use. Every mark preserves the material trace of its commercial function: this is not a retroactively decorative object, but a working piece that has reached us intact.
It sits naturally in wabi-sabi, japandi or contemporary rustic interiors. It works as a vessel for candles or pinecones in an entrance, as a log basket beside a fireplace, or as a standalone object on a sideboard, where the rusted straps add a discreet graphic accent.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 33 cm – Width 28 cm – Height 16.5 cm
- Style: Qing Dynasty
- Materials and techniques: Solid wood with hand-forged iron straps and handle; exposed dovetail joinery; hand-forged square-headed nails.
- Place of origin: China
- Period: Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1900
- Condition: Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
