Bamboo Basket Hand-Woven | Mutsume

This hand-woven bamboo basket adds an elegant and handcrafted touch to serving food or storing items. The basket can be combined with bowls or plates of your choice. You can also place a piece of washi or parchment paper in the bottom to serve/display fruit, vegetables, etc. The baskets with their delicate woven pattern are made of bamboo strips and are therefore quite sturdy.

Each basket is hand-woven from bamboo strips and features unique variations

It all began in 1898 when Kenzo Kosuga founded Kosuga Shoten, a wholesale business specialising in bamboo products in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. To meet the needs of his customers, Kosuga worked with local artisans to produce a variety of bamboo products and received numerous awards and recognitions for his work.

During World War II, the second generation, Chojiro Kosuga, managed to escape the fires in Tokyo and relocated to Kyoto in 1949. As Kyoto was known as the centre of traditional Japanese art and culture, he hoped to develop the artistry of his bamboo craft. He worked closely with many different bamboo craftsmen, developing the company's craftsmanship and variety of bamboo goods, and eventually transformed his business from a wholesaler to a manufacturer.

Finally, in 1971, Kohchosai Kosuga, the company we know and love today, was founded in honour of one of the family's ancestors, an Edo period artist, Kohcho Ueda, who inspired the company's design aesthetic. With each generation, Kohchosai Kosuga evolved and adapted to modern times while maintaining traditional techniques. Hailing from Kyoto, the fifth generation studio combines traditional moulding techniques with modern design concepts. The bamboo, sourced locally in the outskirts of Kyoto, is light and robust.