Design: Innovative Basket Furniture
The Jeddah Seat [Africa Inspired]
[Image source: Elle Decoration – South Africa]
Take a giant, oversized woven basket and tip it on its side, add some sturdy wooden legs and voilà you have a chair, the Jeddah Seat to be precise. I appreciate its not that simple but the resulting effect is an ingenious approach to the humble, yet stylish woven basket giving it a contemporary look in the process. Woven from rush, the Jeddah chair by Italian designer Angelo Figus is a beautiful example of handwoven craftsmanship and attention to detail.
The chair formed part of a 2009 exhibition, called Domo, which celebrated the rich heritage of handcraft in Sardinian culture. I cannot say for sure if the designer was inspired by Africa, however readers may have come across my previous posts exploring the traditional craft of basketry in Africa and the diverse range of patterns and shapes – I think the Jeddah Seat is a stunning example of the artform’s evolution.
For further information on the exhibition visit: designboom
The designer of these wonderful oversized woven basket chairs MUST have been inspired by Africa. You find woven baskets like that in most sub-saharan Africa.