Portable Craft: Chinese Woven Baskets and Containers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Charles Schuler 
Director of Marketing & Communications 
San Francisco International Airport
(650) 821-5031
Charles.Schuler@flysfo.com
SF-25-16

便攜工藝 — 中國編織籃子與容器
Portable Craft: Chinese Woven Baskets and Containers 

New exhibition celebrates the exceptional artistry of Chinese basketry and containers, many of which feature hand-painted motifs and auspicious symbols.

SAN FRANCISCO Since the Neolithic period (7000–1700 BCE), Chinese craftspeople have split and woven bamboo, reeds, and willow to craft various types of containers for everyday use. Baskets in the north appear sturdy, practical, and simply decorated; while in central and southern China, basketry is often exquisitely embellished with materials such as wood, metal, and lacquer—another traditional Chinese art form. Baskets range in size, form, and usage—from sewing baskets and hat containers to food-carrying baskets and storage containers for grain, clothing, and a host of other domestic items. Although mass-produced plastic containers are now ubiquitous, in parts of rural China, handwoven bamboo baskets still take precedence, particularly in southwest China where they appear in a variety of forms—from woven backpacks to baby carriers. Betrothal or gift baskets, some of the most ornate Chinese baskets, are filled with food and gifts and given to the bride-to-be by the groom and his family. Still made today in several southeastern provinces, many of these specimens are now intended for the tourist or international market. This exhibition highlights a range of 19th- to early 20th-century baskets. Some of the “baskets” in this exhibition are not woven at all; rather they are entirely crafted from wood and lacquered, mimicking the form of a basket, while demonstrating the ingenuity of Chinese carrying containers.

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Portable Craft: Chinese Woven Baskets and Containers is located post-security in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 of the San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is accessible from April 19, 2025­–June 7, 2026 to ticketed passengers, and through prior arrangement by emailing curator@flysfo.com.

About SFO Museum

Established in 1980 by the San Francisco Airport Commission, SFO Museum’s mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport.

SFO Museum operates more than twenty-five sites throughout the Airport terminals, including fourteen galleries that exhibit a rotating schedule of art, history, photography, science, and cultural exhibitions. Among the sites is the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which houses a permanent collection of more than 160,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation. To browse current and past exhibitions, research our collection, or for more information, please visit www.sfomuseum.org. Follow us on www.facebook.com/sfomuseum, www.x.com/sfomuseum, or www.instagram.com/sfomuseum.

About San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

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