Royal Sussex Trug No. 1 Flower Garden Basket
Handmade in Europe
Secure Payment
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!
Handcrafted, each piece is unique, even when produced in small batches. Its subtle variations, lines, and slight irregularities reflect the artisan’s touch and the French and European craftsmanship that La Maison de Commerce celebrates.
The item you receive may therefore differ slightly from the one pictured: that is what makes it so beautiful and unique.
All of our items come with a certificate of authenticity issued by La Maison de Commerce.
