67/82

Key basket would have been used by a middle-class housewife to keep her keys in. Mid 19th C.. in France.
This key basket would have been used by a middle-class housewife to keep her keys in. In the mid-nineteenth century, cheap domestic labour probably lead to an increase in stealing from stores, linen etc. so housewives felt the need to keep things locked up. This basket was made in France in the nineteenth century. It is a round basket, made of white willow skein, with a turned-skein bottom and open-work sides and two small ring handles.

1 basket: willow, metal

The Ann Mary Pilcher Collection of Victorian Baskets (67/60-94) was collected by Ann Mary Pilcher in 1957-1967, mostly from junk shops and stalls. Little history is known about any of them., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BASKET (key) // Acc. No.: 67/82 // Group: PERSONAL. USE // Neg. no.: 60/8655 // Place of origin: FRENCH. // Period in use: mid or late 19th century // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Willow skein. // Shape and construction: Round. Turned-skein bottom. Openwork sides. See Baby Basket (2) // Dimensions: WB. [width of bottom] 6 1/2” WT. [width of top] 8 1/4” D. [depth] 2 1/2” // Use: Probably by the middle-class housewife for her keys. The small lock & key became cheap in the mid-19th & cheap domestic labour probably meant considerable pilfering of stores, linen etc. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes:'

France

1825 - 1899

Wood, willow, Metal

Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)