This Hidden Shop Near Petaling Street Sells Old-School Woven Baskets & Rattan Furniture
Many traditional curios can be found here.
By Tiffany Tay — 12 May 2021, 12:25 PM
Tucked behind these red blinds is a quaint little shop that preserves the fading culture of hand-woven bamboo and rattan baskets in Malaysia
Selling anything from woven baskets, to rattan tudung saji, to dim sum steamer baskets, The Basket Shop is a wholesaler of imported products that evoke nostalgia among local customers.
Known as betrothal baskets, these baskets were once widely used by Hokkien and Teochew couples who planned to get married
Long ago, Hokkien and Teochew couples used to observe specific wedding customs, which involved a betrothal ceremony, guo da li (过大礼), to announce the couple's official engagement to the rest of the village.
During the ceremony, both the bride and bridegroom's families would exchange betrothal gifts in these betrothal baskets, which signified the couple's sincerity toward their marriage, and was the groom's assurance that he could provide for his bride.
Nowadays, these baskets are rented instead of bought, as they are too bulky and impractical to store in the house.
Aside from betrothal baskets, The Basket Shop also sells a huge assortment of woven bamboo and rattan baskets for everyday use
True to the shop's name, you can find baskets of all shapes, sizes, and colours here. Many of them are pretty aesthetic, and you can use them as gift hampers for other special occasions.
They also have traditional woven household staples like tudung saji and bamboo trays
Moreover, the store even has a modest selection of rattan furniture, bamboo blinds, and other household items like wooden trays and bamboo bowls
Besides that, they peddle other nostalgic curio items like chest boxes, birdcages, Chinese wedding tea sets, and dim sum steamer baskets
You can find colourful decorative and gift-related items like boxes, paper bags, shredded paper, doilies, paper lanterns, and ribbons
If you're a small business owner, you should drop by to stock up on some cute supplies.
Have you been to The Basket Shop? Be sure to check them out the next time you're at Petaling Street!
