Indra Large Coil Storage Basket - Natural

The large Indra is a coiled jute drum, 41cm tall and 38cm across, wider in proportion than the small and deeper with it. The cord runs in one continuous coil from base to rim, each turn knotted into the one under it, and the knots leave a close grain that runs round the wall rather than up it. Two goat leather loops rise from the rim on stitched leather patches, and a paler cord finishes the edge between them.

At 38cm across it takes bulk rather than height: a folded throw, a load of logs, or a floor plant standing in its own pot. The handles are set far enough apart to be taken one in each hand, which is how a basket this size gets moved when it is full. Beside the small, the difference between the two reads as much in the width as in the height. The small is 31cm tall and 31cm across.

The cord is jute and cotton, hand spun and naturally dyed, and the leather is goat hide coloured with tree bark and vegetable extract. The baskets come from a collective of craftswomen in southern India, set up by an NGO to give steady work where the alternative had been seasonal labour in drought prone areas. Because the spinning and the dyeing are both done by hand, no two baskets come out the same tone. The Indra is also made in a charcoal.

How big is the large Indra?

41cm tall and 38cm across. The small is 31cm tall and 31cm across.

How is it made?

A single jute cord is hand spun, then coiled and knotted row onto row until the drum is built up. Nothing stiffens it from the inside.

What are the handles made from?

Goat leather, dyed with tree bark and vegetable extract and stitched onto leather patches at the rim.

Can it be used outside?

No. Indoor use only, and the colour may fade in sunlight.

How do I look after it?

Take built up dust off with a soft bristle brush. For marks, a mild soap and water on a soft cloth will do it. Keep harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners away.