No. 1 Natural Garden Basket “Royal Sussex Trug”
Handmade in Europe
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French HandicraftsToday, “Royal Sussex Trugs” are English baskets that are still made the old-fashioned way: by hand in Sussex, with bodies made of five or seven thin slats 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, assembled with copper nails and inspired by the ancient “trogs” once used on Anglo-Saxon farms to measure grain, beer, or milk.
A few years later, Thomas Smith exhibited his basket at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park. Queen Victoria was immediately taken with it and placed an order to give them to members of the Royal Family. The Sussex Trug thus became “Royal” and a symbol of traditional English gardening, renowned worldwide.
Note: Each basket is unique, authenticated, numbered, and signed by the artisan who made it. The nails are made of copper to prevent rust.
British baskets
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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.
