This handheld basket is woven using the bark of sawagurumi (Japanese walnut).
The bark of walnut trees is harvested at its peak from spring through the rainy season, when the material is rich with moisture.
Sawagurumi, as its name suggests, is a species of walnut that grows naturally along mountain streams and shallow valleys.
Unlike yamagurumi, which grows in the mountains, the nuts of sawagurumi are not used for food. Instead, the tree has the characteristic of letting its seeds travel downstream, carried away by the flow of nearby streams.
For basketry, young trees that are two to three years old are used.Sawagurumi grows in clusters like this, sprouting multiple stems from the base.Further up, the stems branch out in this way.Not all of the clustered stems are cut; only two or three are selected and harvested.Freshly cut stems glisten with a silvery sheen when touched by the sunlight.A small cut is made in the bark of the freshly cut stem, and the bark is peeled away from the core. This is the sawagurumi bark right after peeling. The inner surface begins as a fresh, creamy color, but over time it deepens into a rich, dark brown.The core left after peeling is returned to the mountains. After about a year, it breaks down into a soft, crumbly state, preparing to return to the soil.This bark has been left for some time after peeling. The inner layer visible on the surface has begun to take on a warm brown tone, and its color will continue to deepen as it ages.
Here, we would like to introduce a handheld basket crafted from this walnut bark.
This small basket bag is woven with the deep, bitter-toned inner bark of walnut, using broad strips that give it a rich and grounded presence.
It is woven so that the dark, cocoa-colored inner bark of walnut forms the exterior. The entire basket is constructed in a plain weave, with the strips interlaced vertically and horizontally in an alternating pattern.Its broad walnut inner-bark strips create a surface with a rich, tactile character, allowing you to fully appreciate the natural texture of the material.Just below the rim, two rows of inner-bark stitching run around the basket.This is the view of the rim from above. The weaving is secured firmly from both the outside and the inside of the basket.This is the handle area of the basket. The handle is woven so that the deep brown inner bark is visible.Akebi vine is used as the core inside the handle. The core is wrapped with walnut bark and securely attached to the basket body.This is the bottom of the basket, also finished in the ajiro-ami pattern with a firm, sturdy weave.Inside the basket, the color arrangement appears as the reverse of the outside. When you look inside during everyday use, the pale outer bark spreads softly across the interior.It is sized to hold your minimal essentials—a wallet, pouch, mobile phone, and key case.。For added privacy, you can place a favorite scarf or handkerchief over your belongings. Thanks to the lighter tones, brightly colored fabrics pair beautifully with it.The vertical view also shows the same wide, boldly woven pattern.A lovely companion for light outings when you only need a few essentials.
Perfect not only for autumn and winter, but also for the chilly mornings and evenings of spring when paired with a stole or muffler. This sawagurumi basket is a piece you can enjoy throughout the year.
The materials are carefully prepared, so there is no roughness — the surface feels smooth, clean, and pleasantly light to the touch.
Each walnut-bark strip has its own subtle tone and texture, and together they give the basket a sense of depth and character.
Bring the basket close and you can enjoy the rich, natural aroma of walnut. And the more you gently run your hand over the surface, the more luster the basket develops as it absorbs the natural oils from your skin.
Compact in size yet woven with wide, substantial walnut strips, this basket has a quiet but confident presence. It doesn’t feel bulky, making it easy to carry even on train rides.
We hope you enjoy using it in your daily outings— and watching the color deepen beautifully as you continue to use it.
Original and uniquely crafted barkwork from Iwate.
In this region blessed with abundant nature, these artisans create their work using materials such as walnut bark and wild grapevine.
Their pieces are rich in variety—both in design and in proportion—and always bring a sense of delight when we encounter them.
They walk the mountains of Iwate themselves, selecting and harvesting only the finest materials. The care they put into preparing each piece of bark, and the time they devote before the weaving even begins, set their work apart. From their distinctive approach to design to the way each basket is brought to life, their craft is truly unlike any other.
This handheld basket is woven using the bark of sawagurumi (Japanese walnut).
The bark of walnut trees is harvested at its peak from spring through the rainy season, when the material is rich with moisture.
Sawagurumi, as its name suggests, is a species of walnut that grows naturally along mountain streams and shallow valleys.
Unlike yamagurumi, which grows in the mountains, the nuts of sawagurumi are not used for food. Instead, the tree has the characteristic of letting its seeds travel downstream, carried away by the flow of nearby streams.
For basketry, young trees that are two to three years old are used.Sawagurumi grows in clusters like this, sprouting multiple stems from the base.Further up, the stems branch out in this way.Not all of the clustered stems are cut; only two or three are selected and harvested.Freshly cut stems glisten with a silvery sheen when touched by the sunlight.A small cut is made in the bark of the freshly cut stem, and the bark is peeled away from the core. This is the sawagurumi bark right after peeling. The inner surface begins as a fresh, creamy color, but over time it deepens into a rich, dark brown.The core left after peeling is returned to the mountains. After about a year, it breaks down into a soft, crumbly state, preparing to return to the soil.This bark has been left for some time after peeling. The inner layer visible on the surface has begun to take on a warm brown tone, and its color will continue to deepen as it ages.
Here, we would like to introduce a handheld basket crafted from this walnut bark.
This small basket bag is woven with the deep, bitter-toned inner bark of walnut, using broad strips that give it a rich and grounded presence.
It is woven so that the dark, cocoa-colored inner bark of walnut forms the exterior. The entire basket is constructed in a plain weave, with the strips interlaced vertically and horizontally in an alternating pattern.Its broad walnut inner-bark strips create a surface with a rich, tactile character, allowing you to fully appreciate the natural texture of the material.Just below the rim, two rows of inner-bark stitching run around the basket.This is the view of the rim from above. The weaving is secured firmly from both the outside and the inside of the basket.This is the handle area of the basket. The handle is woven so that the deep brown inner bark is visible.Akebi vine is used as the core inside the handle. The core is wrapped with walnut bark and securely attached to the basket body.This is the bottom of the basket, also finished in the ajiro-ami pattern with a firm, sturdy weave.Inside the basket, the color arrangement appears as the reverse of the outside. When you look inside during everyday use, the pale outer bark spreads softly across the interior.It is sized to hold your minimal essentials—a wallet, pouch, mobile phone, and key case.。For added privacy, you can place a favorite scarf or handkerchief over your belongings. Thanks to the lighter tones, brightly colored fabrics pair beautifully with it.The vertical view also shows the same wide, boldly woven pattern.A lovely companion for light outings when you only need a few essentials.
Perfect not only for autumn and winter, but also for the chilly mornings and evenings of spring when paired with a stole or muffler. This sawagurumi basket is a piece you can enjoy throughout the year.
The materials are carefully prepared, so there is no roughness — the surface feels smooth, clean, and pleasantly light to the touch.
Each walnut-bark strip has its own subtle tone and texture, and together they give the basket a sense of depth and character.
Bring the basket close and you can enjoy the rich, natural aroma of walnut. And the more you gently run your hand over the surface, the more luster the basket develops as it absorbs the natural oils from your skin.
Compact in size yet woven with wide, substantial walnut strips, this basket has a quiet but confident presence. It doesn’t feel bulky, making it easy to carry even on train rides.
We hope you enjoy using it in your daily outings— and watching the color deepen beautifully as you continue to use it.
Original and uniquely crafted barkwork from Iwate.
In this region blessed with abundant nature, these artisans create their work using materials such as walnut bark and wild grapevine.
Their pieces are rich in variety—both in design and in proportion—and always bring a sense of delight when we encounter them.
They walk the mountains of Iwate themselves, selecting and harvesting only the finest materials. The care they put into preparing each piece of bark, and the time they devote before the weaving even begins, set their work apart. From their distinctive approach to design to the way each basket is brought to life, their craft is truly unlike any other.
This handheld basket is woven using the bark of sawagurumi (Japanese walnut).
The bark of walnut trees is harvested at its peak from spring through the rainy season, when the material is rich with moisture.
Sawagurumi, as its name suggests, is a species of walnut that grows naturally along mountain streams and shallow valleys.
Unlike yamagurumi, which grows in the mountains, the nuts of sawagurumi are not used for food. Instead, the tree has the characteristic of letting its seeds travel downstream, carried away by the flow of nearby streams.
For basketry, young trees that are two to three years old are used.Sawagurumi grows in clusters like this, sprouting multiple stems from the base.Further up, the stems branch out in this way.Not all of the clustered stems are cut; only two or three are selected and harvested.Freshly cut stems glisten with a silvery sheen when touched by the sunlight.A small cut is made in the bark of the freshly cut stem, and the bark is peeled away from the core. This is the sawagurumi bark right after peeling. The inner surface begins as a fresh, creamy color, but over time it deepens into a rich, dark brown.The core left after peeling is returned to the mountains. After about a year, it breaks down into a soft, crumbly state, preparing to return to the soil.This bark has been left for some time after peeling. The inner layer visible on the surface has begun to take on a warm brown tone, and its color will continue to deepen as it ages.
Here, we would like to introduce a handheld basket crafted from this walnut bark.
This small basket bag is woven with the deep, bitter-toned inner bark of walnut, using broad strips that give it a rich and grounded presence.
It is woven so that the dark, cocoa-colored inner bark of walnut forms the exterior. The entire basket is constructed in a plain weave, with the strips interlaced vertically and horizontally in an alternating pattern.Its broad walnut inner-bark strips create a surface with a rich, tactile character, allowing you to fully appreciate the natural texture of the material.Just below the rim, two rows of inner-bark stitching run around the basket.This is the view of the rim from above. The weaving is secured firmly from both the outside and the inside of the basket.This is the handle area of the basket. The handle is woven so that the deep brown inner bark is visible.Akebi vine is used as the core inside the handle. The core is wrapped with walnut bark and securely attached to the basket body.This is the bottom of the basket, also finished in the ajiro-ami pattern with a firm, sturdy weave.Inside the basket, the color arrangement appears as the reverse of the outside. When you look inside during everyday use, the pale outer bark spreads softly across the interior.It is sized to hold your minimal essentials—a wallet, pouch, mobile phone, and key case.。For added privacy, you can place a favorite scarf or handkerchief over your belongings. Thanks to the lighter tones, brightly colored fabrics pair beautifully with it.The vertical view also shows the same wide, boldly woven pattern.A lovely companion for light outings when you only need a few essentials.
Perfect not only for autumn and winter, but also for the chilly mornings and evenings of spring when paired with a stole or muffler. This sawagurumi basket is a piece you can enjoy throughout the year.
The materials are carefully prepared, so there is no roughness — the surface feels smooth, clean, and pleasantly light to the touch.
Each walnut-bark strip has its own subtle tone and texture, and together they give the basket a sense of depth and character.
Bring the basket close and you can enjoy the rich, natural aroma of walnut. And the more you gently run your hand over the surface, the more luster the basket develops as it absorbs the natural oils from your skin.
Compact in size yet woven with wide, substantial walnut strips, this basket has a quiet but confident presence. It doesn’t feel bulky, making it easy to carry even on train rides.
We hope you enjoy using it in your daily outings— and watching the color deepen beautifully as you continue to use it.
Original and uniquely crafted barkwork from Iwate.
In this region blessed with abundant nature, these artisans create their work using materials such as walnut bark and wild grapevine.
Their pieces are rich in variety—both in design and in proportion—and always bring a sense of delight when we encounter them.
They walk the mountains of Iwate themselves, selecting and harvesting only the finest materials. The care they put into preparing each piece of bark, and the time they devote before the weaving even begins, set their work apart. From their distinctive approach to design to the way each basket is brought to life, their craft is truly unlike any other.
