68/380

Dorothy Wright (Manufacturer)

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.

1 basket: cane

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.'

Greater London [region]

1960 - 1960

Highland Homes Industries ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)