96/3

A woven cane basket with a strong rim and two handles on the top edge, of the type used for harvesting potatoes. Two metal rods have been added into the base, folded into the sides, and used to form the core of the handles. There is also a handle on the base which would be used to help tip the basket. The basket came to MERL via Newbury Museum.

1 basket: cane

MERL ‘Stakeholders’ recording form, December 2013 – Object number: 96/3 // Name of recorder: Karen Lawrence and Annemarie O’Sullivan // General construction method: – // Overall shape: Round // Materials: Cane (no willow). Metal rods used as leagues through base and handle. // Base: Underfoot base 3#3. The weaver is folded over to begin pairing. One set of 3 base sticks is opened in 2 parts, creating an uneven number of base sticks. There are 5 rounds of pairing followed by 3 rounds of randing with a single piece (this has been enabled by the change of number of base sticks from 12 to 11). The base is finished with 1 row of pairing. // Sides: One extra stake has been added to make uneven number. 4-rod wale – in front of 3, behind 1 on rim of base. One rod dropped – 3-rod wale. 3 rows of waling. Single rand all the way up the side (53 rows). No pairing or waling to finish. // Border: 5 behind 2. Ends crammed. Extra wrapping/binding applied. Split piece of cane inserted into border and wrapped 4 times and woven away. // Handles: 2 rope handles on opposite sides. Each handle set 4 stakes apart. Each made from 2 pieces of cane. 2 ‘leagues’ (small metal rods) added into base, folded up sides and then turned into core for the handle. A league is anything added into base which comes up the sides. Cane wrapped around metal core. Both pieces of cane finished and trimmed on same side. // Lid: – // Dimensions: Base width 29.5cm. Top width 50cm. Height to border 32.5cm. Height to handle 40cm. // Anything else to note about this particular basket: There is a handle applied to the base on the underside made from 2 rods. Part 1 [see diagram] is one long piece looped into randing travels under base. One end tucked on opposite side into siding. Other end continues and makes loop mirroring original loop, then travels back and is tucked into siding. Part 2 [see diagram] starts in loop on side, travels underneath, goes up into base, out on other side. Half of Part 2 is broken off. // Anything else to note about this type of basket: –, MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: BASKET // Accession number: 96/3 // … // Recorder: JMB // Date: 6.2.96 // Description: Woven willow basket with strong rim and two handles on the top edge. There is also a handle on the base which would be used to help tip the basket // Dimensions: Height [with handles] 39.0 cm Diameter top: 50.0 cm // Associated information: Found by the donor in a house he purchased. The previous owner lived in the Wokingham area and had agricultural connections. It is the type of basket used for harvesting potatoes.’

Lawrence, Karen (Recorder)
O'Sullivan, Annemarie (Recorder)