Elegant Japanese Bamboo Basket – Hanakago for Ikebana, 1950s

Elegant, handwoven Japanese hanakago with a tall, graceful handle and a rounded, bulbous body.

Dimensions: height 57 cm, width 23 cm, depth 20 cm.

The basket itself has a beautiful curved shape: wider at the bottom and slightly narrower toward the rim. The bamboo is woven in a fine herringbone pattern, with small openings near the base that make the piece look light and lively. The colour is a deep reddish brown to dark brown.

The tall handle is made of several bamboo strips that meet at the top and are wrapped at different points. This wrapping is typical of Japanese flower baskets and gives the piece an artisanal, almost sculptural look. The rim is reinforced and bound, so the basket remains sturdy when branches or an inner vase are placed inside.

This is a hanakago (花籠): a traditional Japanese flower basket used in ikebana. Originally, baskets like this were combined with a separate metal or glass container so water flowers, seasonal branches or grasses could be arranged safely. Still perfect today for a vertical arrangement, a single branch, or a subtle seasonal display. Also very beautiful simply as a decorative object in a wabi-sabi, Japanese or minimalist interior.