Getting a piece of the TASA project, like this basket, is contributing to the safeguarding of traditional arts
Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Algarve is the imposing waves of the Atlantic crashing against the cliffs.
This Portuguese coast invites you to stay forever and watch life pass by at the rhythm of the tides –there is no clock or alarm here–, but they say that, Sometimes, you have to look inside.
In the municipality of Loule there is no beach, nor does it need to be, since its streets are home to workshops where true treasures are born.
Ceramic objects, cork, clay, metal, linen... All of them come from the hands of audacious artisans, who make them one by one using traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The Algarve: a paradise of beaches and crafts!
It was here that the RATE Project , whose acronyms sum up its philosophy perfectly: Ancestral Techniques Current Solutions.
"The objective is make crafts an art with a future through the collaboration of current artisans and designers. It is about creating contemporary products, that have a use today, using old techniques”, says Joao Ministro, director of the project.
Ancestral Techniques, Current Solutions.
Placing one –or several, because you are going to want all– of these pieces will bring to our home a dose of Portuguese essence that will make decoration lovers return to the Algarve lands again and again – they have an online store, but it is better to use it as an excuse to return to the neighboring country.
Our favourite? This handcrafted palm leaf basket –seeing the braiding process is, to say the least, hypnotic– and supported by a wooden support.
Where will you place this piece of the Algarve?
Ceramic, cork, clay, metal, linen...
*This article and the attached gallery were published in the number 129 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (May) . Subscribe to the print edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or ** from our website ** ) and enjoy free access to the digital version of Condé Nast Traveler for iPad. The May issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in ** its digital version to enjoy it on your preferred device.**