This shallow basket is woven from peeled willow (white willow).

The maker is Léon, who lives in France.

He is the father of Benjamin, who makes baskets in Germany, and a second-generation basket maker himself.

While passing on his basketry skills to his son Benjamin, Léon continues to make baskets in France to this day.

This basket is made using willow, a material commonly found in Europe, together with hazel.

While its fruit is widely known as “hazelnuts,” hazel—also called Corylus avellana—is a deciduous shrub belonging to the birch family.

In the United Kingdom, hazel is one of the most commonly seen shrubs. Since ancient times, it has been used as a material for thatching roofs, as well as for wattle fencing, coracle boats, and walking sticks—making it an essential material in everyday life.

The material shown on the left side of the photo is a hazel twig. Benjamin and Léon harvest only what they need at the time of making, from plants that grow naturally in hedgerows.

As a material, hazel is easy to split lengthwise and to twist. It is strong yet lightweight, making it well suited for basketry.

Depending on the piece, European chestnut, dogwood, and buckthorn may also be used.

This basket features a movable handle and has a form that is rarely seen elsewhere.

At first, we were not sure what this basket was used for.

It turns out to be a basket fitted with a wooden tool designed for cracking walnuts.

You can store walnuts in the basket and use the attached tool to crack the shells when needed,
making it a highly functional design.

Here, we introduce this “walnut cracking basket.”

This is a walnut cracking basket we saw on the table when visiting Benjamin’s home in Germany.

In the garden in front of his workshop stands a large walnut tree, from which many nuts fall.

The basket was used to store those walnuts and to crack them when needed—truly a basket made for practical, everyday use.

Although it is a basket designed for cracking walnuts, even when simply placed,
it evokes a sense of the European landscape.

The color of the peeled willow gently shines in natural light.
Over time, it gradually deepens, developing a richer tone with use.

When cracking walnuts, pieces of the shell may scatter,
so please be mindful of your surroundings when using it.

This uniquely shaped walnut cracking basket, made in France,
can be enjoyed in various ways as part of your daily life.

Benjamin’s Basket Weaving

Before becoming a basket maker,
Benjamin worked in fields such as biology, environmental studies, social work, and photography.
Over time, however, he found himself weary of the fast-paced urban lifestyle.

Seeking a more meaningful way of living and working, he chose to devote himself to basket weaving.

“I love the simple feeling of touching wood, going out into nature, collecting hazel,
and working with my hands,” he says.

“Baskets are used every day to carry and store things.
Being able to make such objects—not by machine, but from renewable, local materials—
gives me a sense of independence.”

He says his goal in basket making is always to reach perfection—
a goal that can never truly be attained, which is precisely why it continues to inspire him.
The baskets he creates are all of exceptional quality, beautifully shaped, and built to last.

Please also take a look at our journal featuring Benjamin from Germany.

An Encounter with Benjamin, a Basket Maker from Germany (Part 1)

Drawn to Hazel and Willow Baskets: Benjamin, a Basket Maker from Germany (Part 2)

A Visit to Benjamin’s Workshop (1) — Germany Business Trip Journal 12

A Visit to Benjamin’s Workshop (2)—Germany Business Trip Journal 13

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