The Basketmaker Chefs Have on Speed Dial

Angelica Marotta weaves custom serving pieces around the dish, the dining room, and the chef’s roots. This week, for the first time, our Food Chain subject is neither a chef nor a farmer nor a producer of anything gastronomic at all. But not everything that defines a restaurant is there to be consumed. Angelica Marotta, an artisan from the province of Benevento in Italy’s Campania region, learned cesteria—the craft of making baskets and other woven objects—from her grandfather, a traditional weaver. Through her project, Cortreccia, she now combines those techniques with her training in habitat design to make contemporary woven pieces, mostly for restaurants, like I Tenerumi, featured in last week’s Food Chain. Marotta’s interest in weaving began as she watched her grandfather work with willow rods, explaining each step in just a few words of dialect. Learning the craft meant gathering, cleaning, and sorting materials by size, as well as understanding the seasons and when to harvest. After his death, the work also became a way to preserve his memory. “I’m the only person in my family who chose to learn and carry on this tradition,” she says. She started with the traditional forms he had taught her, including baskets. After moving to Milan, she began teaching courses and workshops and experimenting with smaller pieces, different proportions, and combinations of materials. Her first restaurant collaboration began with a request for custom pieces. At first, they adapted objects she already made; later, they developed others specifically for the restaurant’s service. “My catalog is a starting point, but every project begins with a conversation. I try to understand what will be served, how it will be presented, and what kind of object might complement it.” Restaurants now make up most of her clientele, both in Italy and abroad, finding her through word of mouth and Instagram. Each commission also takes the dining room into account: its furniture, tables, materials, and style. Continue reading Access this and all our other premium articles by joining our membership program. Plans start at $6.50 per month and include twice-weekly digital features, access to in-person events, and more.