Madake Bamboo Hanging Floral Basket

URUSHI HASHIBAMI KAKEKAGO (tall lacquered hazelnut)
Completely hand-woven in an open-plain pattern, this beautiful madake bamboo basket hangs elegantly on any wall or door. Place your floral arrangements in the stylish copper-lined vase in the basket. The basket is further hand-finished and protected with “urushi”, or Japanese lacquer, helping to preserve its long-lasting beauty.
Among all Japanese crafts, bamboo basketry holds a deep and special meaning. Fashioned with seemingly limitless diversity, both symbolic and functional, bamboo adds value and significance to everyday life in Japan. Far more than simple decorations, these floral ideas come with the hope that their owners attain a greater awareness and appreciation of nature and the seasonal changes that surround us all.

Details

  • delicately hand-woven in Japan, process takes about 2 months
  • basket is specially lacquered for protection
  • inside basket contains a small vase that is lined in copper to place the flowers
  • width: 4cm (1.5″) ; height: 43cm (16.9″) ; depth: 5.5cm (2.1″)
  • a truly remarkable piece from Japan that will certainly last a lifetime
Madake bamboo

Madake is a strong, uniquely flexible and extremely long-lasting type of bamboo. Its beauty will grow with time, becoming a lovely deep caramel colour as it ages.

Madake bamboo is considered the fastest growing plant on earth. It was once documented in Japan to grow and incredible 120cm (47 inches) in a single day! With such a spectacular growth rate, madake reaches its mature height in about one month. Madake bamboo groves sway majestically in unison at about 10 to 20 meters (30-60 feet) in height and complete their noble lifecycle with just a single flowering in approximately 120 years.

A word on Urushi

Japanese lacquerware, broadly known as “urushi” (pronounced “oorooshe”), is often red or black. The trademark Urushi deep black is achieved through a process that involves the use of iron powder. Pigments like vermillion are added to produce the classic vivid orange-red colour that was originally used to decorate pottery and preserve the bones of royalty.

With origins that date back 9,000 years, Urushi is one of the world’s most durable natural lacquers. Urushi dries or hardens by absorbing moisture from the air. When hardened, urushi is waterproof, protecting objects from heat, salt, mould and all types of weather exposure.

Thanks to its magnificent, natural beauty and remarkable strength, Urushi has become an intrinsic symbol of Japanese culture.