In the medieval Italian hill town of Verbicaro, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, a maze of cobblestone paths leads past a large, grey, metal door. Behind it is the workshop of Antonio, a local artisan who weaves baskets by hand. The workshop doubles as a treasure trove of baskets, gnocchi boards, and cutting boards fashioned from olive trees.
Born in Grisolia, Antonio has been weaving baskets since he was eight years old, a trade passed down from his father. For decades, he has fashioned baskets of all shapes and sizes: for keeping bread, carrying groceries, collecting grapes, and many more purposes.
"For me, the most beautiful thing is making a basket. There's a real sense of satisfaction when you finish it," Antonio says.
There is no plastic in Antonio's basket-weaving process. The work is simply about bending twigs and clearing his mind. He sits outside his shop, weaving wet olive twigs bundled at his feet. Twig by twig, he creates the pattern, with the most difficult part being "finishing off the weave and making the handle."
Watching the careful steps he takes to create these baskets feels like stepping back in time. As he tells bits and pieces of his story, his passion for basket weaving and the importance of continuing the tradition shine through.
"It's an art that I don't want to let disappear. With basket weaving, there's always something new to learn."
Antonio finds great comfort in creating in his homeland, and he hopes to pass on the lessons of the craft to others, especially young people.
At the very heart of his work is appreciation. Appreciation for his father, who passed down the skills needed to make such marvelous baskets; appreciation for life and its slow, quiet moments that make it worth living; and appreciation for others, because he knows the craft is all the more special when shared with thoughtful, curious people.
Antonio and other craftspeople like him know something the world is seemingly losing: the connection of hand, heart, and mind.
Machines now control many trades, and the clock never stops ticking. But the secret is to sit down and create with your hands, letting your mind slow down. Outside his shop in Verbicaro, Antonio keeps doing just that, keeping his father's craft alive one olive twig at a time.