67/94

Ose,

This child’s shopping basket was probably made in Poland. It is a frame-type basket made of buff willow. It is an elongated version of the ‘ose’ basket, a poultry basket in use since the fourteenth century for carrying broody hens, in which the pouch forms part of the handle. They became popular as shopping baskets after an ‘ose’ appeared in the ‘Living Traditions’ exhibition in Edinburgh in 1951.

1 basket: willow

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 (shopping) // Acc. No.: 67/94 // Group: PERSONAL USE. TOYS // Neg. no.: 60/8671 // Place of origin: prob. Polish [underlined in red] // Period in use: c. 1955 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Buff willow. // Shape and construction: Frame-type. Elongated version of Ose (60/770 Ag. Livest.). 3 hoops. 4 spelk rods either side. Randed skein. // Dimensions: WB. [width of bottom] 4 1/2” LB. [length of bottom] 8” D. [depth] from top of handle. 6 1/2” // Use: // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes: Same shape as Dove Baskets.'

Basket, shopping, Basket, bird

Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)