11" x 17"
Handmade Natural Willow
PORTUGAL

A picture of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg strolling down the beach outside of Lisbon. Jane looking gorgeous, holding the traditional fish basket from the Algarve as a handbag. This was the story told to me by Portuguese friends when they described what they called the new "Birkin" bag. Jane, perpetually progressive. Frankly, it beats the heck out of the Hermès version and costs a lot less, too. To track down a top-quality variant we asked our friend for a suggestion. Albio was quick in his reply, "Florinda who lives near Castro Marim, she is tough to reach but worth it!" During our two days of waiting to see her we consumed large quantities of shellfish. Interestingly, Florinda explained the basket was traditionally used for rinsing shellfish. The lid is attached to the handle; the construction is intelligent. To loosen the lid, simply press down on the handle; this action expands the basket and allows the lid to move freely. Smart. Use as a Birkin bag or as a market basket or both!