Object number
68/380
Exhibition
Creator
Description
This egg basket was made by Dorothy Wright in 1960. It is a copy of a Skye basket, known locally as a ‘shoe basket’, used for gathering eggs. They were sold by the Highland Home Industries in Kilmuir, Skye. It is a kidney-shaped frame basket made on a foundation of two circles and is woven from the rim downwards with further stakes added as necessary, and has a handle. The originals would have been willow but this one has a kubu cane frame, centre cane stakes and split Palembang cane weaving. This type of basket appears frequently in early illuminated manuscripts, and was made by countrymen and Gypsies rather than professional basketmakers.
Physical description
1 basket: cane
Label Text
<div style="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><p><span><span>Egg collecting baskets, early-mid 20th century </span></span></p><p><span><span>These baskets were used for collecting eggs. The one on the left is a small round lipwork basket, made of coiled straw, and bound with strips of bramble. The other was made by basketmaker Dorothy Wright in 1960. It is a copy of a Skye basket, known locally as a ‘shoe basket’. The shape of the basket enables them to be stacked, with a dent in the base for the handle of the one beneath. </span></span></p><p><span><span>MERL 85/2, MERL 68/380</span></span></p></div>
Archival history
Visiting researcher note, anonymous basketmaker, 21 June 2014 – This type of basket was used for picking blackcurrants, and the shape enables them to be stacked (the base has a dent to take the handle from the basket beneath)., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BASKET (EGG GATHERING) // Acc. No.: 68/380 // Group: LIVESTOCK POULTRY // Neg. no.: 60/9036 // Place of origin: LONDON. 1958. Dorothy Wright // Period in use: // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Frame: Kubu Cane. Weaving: split Palembang cane. // Shape and construction: 2 circular hoops cross each other at right angles. Radials are added at intervals. The randing begins at the rim. A kidney shape. // Dimensions: Rim L. [length] 8” W. [width] 8 1/2”. D. [depth] 4” L. [length] longest 13 1/2” W. [width] widest 10” // Use: For gathering eggs. A copy of an Orkney basket made of willow.* // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes: See Baskets & Basketry. D. Wright. Batsford. [Wright, Dorothy, ‘Baskets and Basketry’. B. T. Batsford, 1959] Plate 134.'
Production place
Greater London [region]
Production date
1960 - 1960
Object name
Material
Technique
Dimensions
- Length 343 mm
- Width 254 mm
- Length 203 mm
- Width 216 mm
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_9036.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\68_380_cob.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\68_380_doc_01.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\68_380_doc_02.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\68_380_doc_03.tif - High resolution image
