Before the wooden hive arrived in the nineteenth century, this is what bees were kept in - a woven dome, set on a stand or in a wall recess, one colony to a skep. It's where the bee symbol on jars, inn signs and coats of arms comes from, and it's still the shape most people picture when they think of a beehive.
What it's for now
Beekeepers still use skeps, but for catching swarms. When a swarm settles on a branch you knock or brush it into an upturned skep, cover it, and move the bees to a proper hive. The woven dome is light, breathable and exactly the right shape for the job, which is why nobody has improved on it in four hundred years.
They are also fabulous decorative items on a porch, a shelf, a potting bench or a garden patio.
How it's made
Handwoven from sea grass and recycled sari fabric, with a carrying loop worked into the top. Sturdily made and built to last.
