79/49

This fruit basket belonged to the donor's grandmother, who lived on a farm in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and was used for collecting harvested apples, and also to take sandwiches to labourers in the field. It is a flat-bottomed oval basket with shallow sides. It is made of buff willow with a band of brown around the sides. It has a handle of lapped willow skein, some of which has been painted pink.

Basket; brown, buff and skeined willow

MERL ‘Stakeholders’ recording form, December 2013 – Object number: 79/49 // Name of recorder: Sue Kirk and Angie Tavernor // General construction method: Stake and strand // Overall shape: Oval // Materials: Buff and brown willow. Painted pink willow skein on handle. // Base: Underfoot oval base 7 x 6 (taken from 6–7-foot buff rods). Randed and paired. 2 sets of 4-rod pull-down wale. // Sides: (1) 3 rows of 3-rod wale. 34 side stakes (including 2 ‘false’ side stakes – one on left side of each handle bow) [see diagram]. (2) Straight sides. 34 English rand using fine brown (possibly home grown) willow. (3) One layer of 3-rod wale. // Border: Trac border. Behind 1, in front of 1, behind 1, in front of 1. // Handles: Inserted into base [see diagram]. Lapped with willow skeins – some are enamelled pink. // Lid: N/A // Dimensions: 41 (length) x 27 (width) x 9 cm (height). Handle 28cm. // Anything else to note about this particular basket: Elaborate handle for proposed use of basket. Possibly home grown willow since long and thin. These baskets appear to have been made regularly by this basketmaker due to handle efficiency. Seems to be same maker as 79/48. // Anything else to note about this type of basket: This early enamelled lapping skein was later replaced by plastic strips., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: basket, apple // Accession number: 79/49 // … // Recorder: DJE // Date: 4.9.79 // Description: Identical to 79/48 except larger, and the lapping on the handle has been picked out in pink. [79/48 Flat bottomed oval basket of white willow, with a band of brown on the side, and another on the base. The handle is lapped with willow skein, some of which has been painted red.] // Dimensions: Length inside: 41 cms. Width inside 26 cms. Height to top of handle: 31 cms // Associated information: Used for collecting apples, principally, but also for taking sandwiches to labourers. Belonged to donor’s grandmother, Mrs Norris of Drakes Farm, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, Sussex.’

1979

Basket, fruit, Basket, picnic

Wood, willow, buff, Wood, willow, brown, Wood, willow

Kirk, Sue (Recorder)
Tavernor, Angie (Recorder)