No. 3 Natural Garden Basket "Royal Sussex Trug"
- 2 in stock
Handmade in Europe
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International shipping (U.S. upon request)
Today, "Royal Sussex Trugs" are English baskets that are still made "the old way": by hand in Sussex, with their bodies made of five or seven thin strips of white willow.
In the 1820s, shortly before Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne, a man from Sussex named Thomas Smith invented the “Sussex Trug”: a basket made of chestnut and willow wood held together with copper nails, inspired by the old “trogs” once used on Anglo-Saxon farms to measure grain, beer, or milk.
A few years later, Thomas Smith exhibited his basket at the 1851 World’s Fair in Hyde Park. Queen Victoria was immediately taken with it and placed an order to give them as gifts to members of the “Royal Family.” The Sussex Trug thus became “Royal” and a symbol of the traditional English gardening scene, known throughout the world.
Note: Each basket is unique, authenticated, numbered, and signed by the artisan who crafted it. The nails are made of copper to prevent rust.
English baskets
If you'd like to learn more about this artisan, click here!
Since everything is handmade, all our items are one-of-a-kind, even those produced in small batches. At La Maison de Commerce, you’ll never find two identical items—especially not the one in the photo and the one you’ll receive. This guarantees its authenticity, its beauty, and a few irregularities inherent to its craftsmanship by the finest artisans in France and Europe. All our items come with a certificate of authenticity issued by La Maison de Commerce.
