We're happy to offer this Wonderful Rare 1800's HUGE Primitive Gathering Basket in Great Primitive Blue Paint. This is the largest basket we've had in four decades of antique-ing. This is a working basket, made by hand in the late 1800's to be used each day to help make life simpler and more convenient. This rectangular oblong basket is hand woven of wide oak splint in a checker work weave. It has a hand carved hickory handle and uniquely also has an open handle on each of the shorter sides. The double rim is single "x" wrapped. It is in wonderful Blue Paint, which is not old but specially painted, then aged, oxidized and seemingly authentic. Its long life has given this basket a wonderful patina. This basket was woven to be functional. A basket this large could have been used to gather cotton in the field, but its wonderful condition suggests it may have been used in and around the house for laundry, storage basket or market basket. This is an exceptionally large basket, the largest we've had, huge enough to hold a lot, big enough for a toddler to sleep in! It measures 38" x 24" x 18". Though it's lived a long life, it has lived an easy life resulting in its very good condition with only a couple minor, barely noticeable breaks in the splint. The only repair is a 12" length of x wrapping on the rim. Rare and Hard to Find, this beautiful 19th century HUGE North Carolina Handwoven Primitive Basket looks wonderful on a farm table for all seasons for holding flowers, greenery, herbs, linens.