LG4 Umbrella basket

Meet the artisan

Pinumu Pasaule

Rīga and Smārde parish, Latvia

Pinumu Pasaule is the wicker world of the Tutāns family. What began as a shared family passion in 1985 became a business in 1999, first making small baskets and trays. Master weaver Pēteris Tutāns learned the foundations from his father at about ten years old, while his mother helped gather and peel willow; later training with master Jānis Kupčs deepened the quality of his work. Pēteris holds a master craftsman diploma and the Latvian Heritage cultural mark, and has exhibited in Latvia, France, China, the United States, and Japan. The family works with peeled and unpeeled willow, including rods grown by the workshop. Suitable willow must be young, straight, elastic, and harvested after the leaves fall. From sorting and preparing the rods to weaving and finishing, every stage is done by hand. The workshop now makes baskets, trays, cradles, furniture, lamps, repairs, and custom wickerwork, while retaining the practical knowledge behind an everyday rural material.