The Hands Behind Our Wire Baskets: A Conversation with Umbu
There’s something about these hand-crafted wire baskets that feels a little different when you pick them up. The weight of them. The way the wire holds its shape while still feeling soft at the edges. They’re practical, yes. But they also carry a story that’s worth knowing.
We spoke with Umbu, the maker behind our wire baskets, to understand where it all began and how it continues today.
A beginning in Sumba
Umbu was born and raised on Sumba Island, in East Sumba Regency, Indonesia. It’s a place known for its strong cultural traditions, where making is often tied closely to identity and ceremony.
The technique he uses today isn’t new. It’s something that has existed on the island for hundreds of years.
Learning the craft
It was used to create lulu amahu — rope-like necklaces that hold cultural significance in Sumbanese life. These pieces symbolise male identity and are traditionally used as part of dowries. They’re still used today.
In 2002, Umbu and his brothers began experimenting. They moved to Bali and started adapting the technique into new forms. Necklaces, hats, and eventually the wire baskets we now carry.
It’s not something widely made. The method has stayed within the family, developed and refined by Umbu and his brothers over time.
Making from home
Umbu works from home, alongside his wife and children. Each basket is made by hand, one at a time.
There’s no rush to it. No large-scale production. Just a steady rhythm of making, shaped around family life.
It’s a way of working that keeps things small, considered and personal. Exactly how we like it.
The pull of the beach
When asked about his favourite place, Umbu doesn’t hesitate. The beach.
Not just for the view, but for the connection. It’s where he meets people from all over the world. Where conversations start, and where his work begins to travel further than the place it was made.
A simple answer
When we asked which piece he likes most, his response was simple.
He loves all the wire products he makes.
And it makes sense. When something is shaped by hand, over time, with a technique that’s been passed down and then reimagined, it’s hard to separate one piece from another.
Why this matters
These baskets are practical. They hold things, organise shelves, sit neatly on a bench.
But they also carry something quieter. A connection to place, to family, and to a way of making that isn’t rushed or replicated at scale.
They’re designed in Geelong, made slowly in small batches, and brought to life through a technique that has travelled from Sumba to Bali, and now into your home.
