Storage Basket or Dog Bed

Artisan: Cinzia Milella (Ludmilla’s Creations)
Date: 2023
Inscriptions: label with the artist’s paw-print sign (on the underside)
Dimensions: 16 x 45 mm. / ⅝ x 1 ¾ (height x diameter)
Inventory number: 2023.005
Intended Room: Pantry
Category: Wicker

Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist at Kensington Dolls’ House Festival in December 2023.

This basket initially looked very simple, but when I looked more closely I was fascinated by the careful weaving of the base, and the amount of work that had obviously gone into it. Judging by the size, I think Cinzia intended it as a dog bed, but I thought it could equally well serve as a storage basket in the pantry, or even a laundry basket in the scullery. For now, we’ve placed it in the pantry, which I’m sure Mrs Trescothick firmly keeps as a dog-free zone.