Rattan Six-Bottle Carrier with Arched Handle, France, circa 1950

Few objects evoke the conviviality of the French table and its domestic culture more immediately than the rattan bottle carrier — a form inseparable from the French ideal of sharing wine among company, whether at the family table, the summer terrace, or the cellar door. This well-made example from around 1950 captures that tradition with considerable grace, combining excellent craft with a form of universal utility.

The carrier is constructed to hold six bottles, arranged in two rows of three, each bottle occupying its own circular rattan ring. These rings are formed from bent rattan rods, the junction points reinforced with characteristic wrapping, and the rings braced against each other with diagonal cross-members that provide structural rigidity while maintaining the open, light quality essential to the form. The whole ensemble is held together and lifted by a single tall, gracefully curved arched handle rising from the centre — its elegant arc providing a comfortable grip and defining the visual character of the piece.

The rattan retains its original warm honey-brown tone, the material well-seasoned and firm. The construction is tight and sound, a testament to the quality of French artisanal basketwork at mid-century.

Equally at home in a cave à vins, on a kitchen dresser, or at the centre of a well-set table, this carrier combines the timeless practicality of its function with the visual warmth and natural character of rattan — a combination that has never gone out of fashion.