A 19th Century Elm Picnic Basket

A late 19th century painted elm picnic basket with double looped bamboo carrying handle.

The elm tree family is 20 million years old and first appeared in Asia. Today it can be found in most countries north of the equator. The wood of the elm tree lends itself well to the construction of this picnic basket since it is receptive to bending and resistant to splitting or rotting even when (permanently) damp.