Baskets & boxes

Antique boxes and baskets

In the historical tradition of craftsmanship, the antique baskets on the "Antique Basketry" Roman shop pages are made by hand according to antique models. The lack of archaeological finds makes reconstruction a real challenge. It is mainly based on Roman frescoes and stone reliefs.

Roman baskets & boxes

A walk through the museums shows little of the wickerwork technique as it might have been. Due to the ephemeral nature of the material, only a few pieces have been preserved or reconstructed. The best models are drawings or mosaics.

Baskets have tradition and basket is not basket

The Roman writer Columella describes the use of baskets in viticulture in his book on agriculture. The harvested grapes were transported in baskets. The author gives the capacity of these baskets as between 26 and 87 litres. The largest known wicker baskets were fodder baskets with a capacity of about 170 litres. Flat wicker baskets and sieves were used for pressing grapes. Wickerwork also played an important role in grain harvesting. The grain was cleaned from the chaff in a basket swing. Very tightly woven baskets were used to make cheese. The curdled milk was poured in and the whey was allowed to drain slowly.

This type of basket was also used for pickling vegetables. Beehives could be made of willow, reed or bark. Baskets for pressing honey were usually made of willow. Bottle baskets of willow, rush or straw were often used to cover glass bottles or clay jugs. A completely preserved glass jar from the Roman Imperial period was found in Fayûm, and its protective basket was also preserved. Clay bowls were also surrounded by a wickerwork.

In a villa rustica near Mönchengladbach, Germany, a terra sigillata bowl with a wicker basket was found in a well shaft. There are also numerous finds and illustrations of wickerwork being used as fish traps. Replicas of wicker chairs were found in a 2nd century Roman grave in Cologne-Weiden. Wicker chairs are depicted on numerous stelae and have been preserved as small bronzes. Wicker chairs were particularly popular with Roman women. In addition to wicker chairs, there are also depictions of wicker chests.

Roman trunks, chests and furniture

Whether a wooden money box, a bone box with filigree round eyes or a solid beech box with fittings: All of these beautiful antique storage pieces will brighten up your home - your hallway or entrance, your shelf, your desk or bedside table. Chests of drawers are also adorned with these handcrafted boxes and crates and will be real jewels for your treasures! Roman bone boxes, for example, were used to store small items that would otherwise be left lying around. They keep things tidy, are easy on the eye and are a delight to look at!

Or discover a decorative piece of furniture to store your valuables! Store antique valuables authentically: Put them in an antique solid wooden money box! The exclusive reconstruction of the Forum Traiani is based on a massive wooden chest from Pompeii dating from the 1st century AD. Elaborate bronze ornaments (true to the original) decorate this beautiful piece of Roman furniture. Decorated with no fewer than 1,700 Roman iron nails, the miniature chest is made of solid wood. It has an opening in the lid - just like a real treasure chest. A copy of the decorated chest can be seen in the museum at Augusta Raurica (Augst) in Switzerland. Chests of this kind often stood in the entrance of Roman villas, showing visitors that the master of the house (dominus) was a wealthy man.

Or how about a Roman wooden trunk with finger tines and a recessed wooden base? A sturdy lid can be opened and closed. The solid beech Roman chest is oiled and made in the workshop of the Römer Shop in Germany. Each wooden chest is carefully crafted and glued by a carpenter for long lasting use at Roman festivals or in your entrance hall or living room. Chests keep things tidy and the wooden lid has a wooden stopper inside so it won't fall out. The wooden box can be used to store all sorts of everyday items and the Roman chest is a lovely piece of jewellery!

So, browse through the boxes and chests of our antique replicas and be inspired to create your own personal treasure chest!

Basket replicas ready to use!

All the baskets - whether they are straight-stick baskets, lordly fruit baskets, dried flower baskets or crossed-stick baskets - are completely ready to use and woven from different types of willow, true to the original illustrations.
After much experimentation with manufacturing and weaving techniques, these unique pieces are finally available in small quantities in the Römer Shop!
So get your hands on one, as each piece is a unique wickerwork and literally a feast for the eyes!