Object number
57/168
Exhibition
Description
This is a 'flail' or ‘frail’ basket of plaited rush with leather covered handles. It was made in Suffolk and used by the donor’s father’s labourers at Bryers Farm in Hawstead, Suffolk. It was used by farm workers to carry their meals – breakfast, elevenses, fourses and ‘beaver’ (a meal eaten by farm workers out in the open between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner) – and was large enough to take the food, drink bottle and a rabbit if they were lucky enough to catch one.
Physical description
1 basket: rush, leather
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BASKET (frail) // Acc. No.: 57/168 // Group: PERSONAL USE // Neg. no.: 60/1648 // Place of origin: Suffolk // Period in use: c. 1897–1901 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Rush. Leather covered handles // Shape and construction: A flexible flat basket made of a variety of plaits. The sides are a plait of 27 rushes. A true PLAIT basket. // Dimensions: Height 12” Width 16” // Use: {Taken into the fields containing a farm labourer’s elevenses, foursies or beaver, sometimes even breakfast. His beer bottle could be carried also a rabbit if he were lucky enough to get one. D. W. [Dorothy Wright]}. // Dialect names: Sometimes a flag-basket, made of river-side flags. *Frail. Flail. Bait – Suffolk. Vittle-bag – Bucks, Oxon. Baiting poke // Distribution: General // Additional notes: See I. Mss. [Illuminated Manuscripts] 12. Illust. & Q.M.8 & F.A.4&5. See Card. Common usage from 1197 AD. Must have a parag [paragraph] to itself & measures. Mr Collick Ruckinge remembered labourers taking food to fields // * Geog. Elliot'
Production place
Suffolk
Production date
1897 - 1901
Object name
Material
Technique
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_1648.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\57_168_cob.tif - High resolution image
