Vintage Handwoven Straw & Raffia Floral Trivet, c. 1960s–1970s

The Piece

Lengths of wheat-gold natural fiber are braided, looped, and coiled into an unusually intricate octagonal trivet, with nearly every inch of the surface constructed from the material itself. The outer border is formed from tightly repeated elongated loops arranged almost like a fringe, contained within narrow plaited bands traced in deep burgundy. Inside, another braided octagon frames an openwork flower whose curled petals radiate from a tightly coiled burgundy-and-gold rosette.

The construction is remarkably dimensional. Individual strands rise and fold over one another rather than lying flat, giving the piece the sculptural quality of miniature basketry. Natural variations in the straw shift from honey and ochre to deeper tobacco tones, while the burgundy fiber provides just enough contrast to make the geometry legible.

Made from braided natural fibers, likely straw and raffia, the piece belongs to the tradition of decorative woven trivets and table mats particularly associated with mid-century and 1970s interiors. The form is functional, but the elaborate floral construction makes this example as much folk textile as kitchen object.

History & Provenance

Natural-fiber trivets occupied a wonderfully ordinary corner of the mid-century home. Lightweight straw and raffia could be plaited into insulating mats for serving dishes while simultaneously allowing makers to turn an everyday object into something decorative.

By the 1960s and 1970s, woven household accessories had become especially well suited to interiors moving toward warmer materials, handcrafted surfaces, and earth-toned palettes. Floral and geometric patterns appeared in countless variations, from simple concentric circles to elaborate openwork constructions such as this one.

This example is particularly expressive. Its octagonal geometry gives structure to an otherwise exuberant pattern of loops, braids, and petals, while the muted burgundy detailing is worked directly into the construction rather than applied afterward. No maker’s mark is presently identified, leaving the individual workshop or maker unknown.

Product Details

|Field       |Detail                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Object      |Decorative trivet / table mat                                                                                                                                                                         |
|Maker       |Unknown                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|Style       |Mid-Century Folk / Bohemian                                                                                                                                                                           |
|Materials   |Braided natural fiber, likely straw and raffia; dyed burgundy fiber                                                                                                                                   |
|Technique   |Hand-plaited, braided, coiled, and looped openwork construction                                                                                                                                       |
|Decoration  |Central floral rosette with radiating looped petals and geometric octagonal borders                                                                                                                   |
|Form        |Octagonal                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|Colors      |Wheat gold, natural straw, ochre, burgundy                                                                                                                                                            |
|Origin      |Unidentified                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|Era         |c. 1960s–1970s                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|Dimensions  |Approx. 7″ across × ½″ H; measurements to be confirmed                                                                                                                                                |
|Condition   |Good vintage condition with visible age-related wear, scattered darkening, minor fraying, and small areas of fiber loss or separation along the perimeter. The woven structure remains intact overall.|
|Availability|One of a Kind — 1 Available                                                                                                                                                                           |

Why It Belongs in Your Home

There is considerably more going on here than a little kitchen trivet has any reasonable right to possess. From across the room it reads as a warm, graphic flower; up close, the individual braids, coils, and folded loops reveal just how much handwork went into something originally intended for an everyday table.

Layer it beneath pottery or a favorite vessel, place it into a collected tabletop arrangement, or hang it among baskets and small works of folk art. The wheat-and-burgundy palette sits naturally with old wood, ironstone, studio pottery, brass, and worn textiles without demanding that the rest of the room participate in a full 1970s revival.

Its age, irregularity, and surviving wear are precisely what keep it from feeling decorative in the modern manufactured sense. It is a small piece of domestic craft with enough texture to hold its own.