Color Swatch Basket in Grays

Prangley blends traditional basketry making with wire-working techniques and adds paper in the process to create wire and paper baskets. The base is woven from fine-gauge annealed steel wire, and the sides are constructed of heavy-gauge annealed steel wire that's both concealed within the paper color swatches that form the basket's shape, and also visibly encircles the inside and outside of the basket.

The wire that encircles the frame is lashed together with a fine-gauge wire between the color swatches, creating a metal framework between each of the distinct colors within each swatch. There are three of these lashed-wire circular frames. Color swatches are made with many layers of papers that are "painted" with a special glue onto their fiberboard underlayment shape to create color, texture, and strength. Each color swatch has unique details in contrasting cut or torn paper, also "painted" on with glue. The color swatches are sealed with a gel medium that helps protect the basket during handling/use and from ultra-violet light.

The resulting wire and paper basket is solid, strong, and functional. The basket rim is finished off in a wire-wrapping technique and the base is completed with a centerpiece of vintage buttons. Use a soft cloth to clean/wipe down, and do not place in direct full sunlight. Because of the handmade nature of the work, no two "Color Swatch Baskets" are exactly alike.