Companion Painted Woodsplint
Swing-Handle Baskets  

New England, earlier than many…..circa 1840-1870.

Delightfully decorative swing-handle baskets retaining beautiful dry original surfaces in complementary soft salmon and weathered green. Their nearly identical forms and proportions suggest they may have been made by the same hand or workshop. They have remained together for the last twenty-five years, hanging from adjacent pegs in an early New England home.

Overall round yet with square footed bases, wrapped rims, and carved swing handles create a sculptural presence, while the smaller salmon basket nests inside the larger green. The thin, quiet painted surfaces possess the untouched quality we hope to find.

Excellent condition. The green having more in-use paint wear than the salmon. Difficult to locate individually of this caliber, these companion baskets with such harmonious surfaces, colors, form, and history of remaining together are scarce.

Green basket about 9 1/2 inches tall to the rim (add 6 inches for upright handle), diameter 13 7/8; the salmon about 7 3/4 to the rim (add 5 1/2 inches for upright handle); 10 ¼ diameter.

Provenance includes Ted Hayward, Yankee Smuggler Antiques and a private New England collection.

They create quite a presence together. Whether displayed hanging from wall pegs, atop a chest, or grouped with painted furniture and folk art, they command attention while bringing warmth, texture, and authenticity to an interior.