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Oyster tendle,

The oyster tendle is a basket used on the east coast of Suffolk and Essex for gathering oysters. It is made of elm saplings with the bark left on on a frame of two hoops, with six ribs. This tendle dates from circa 1919 and was given to the donor by an oysterman. Tendles were said to withstand two seasons of use.

1 basket: wood (elm)

Bichard, Maurice, ‘Baskets in Europe’, p.72 – 'A final relic frame basket survived not in the highland fringes but in the Essex marshes. The oyster tendle was a simple shallow rectangular shape with a handle hoop and rim, and ribs running across the short axis. It was made by the oyster gatherers during the winter period using freshly cut elm rods for hoops and ribs, and also for the weavers. England used to have many elm trees in its hedgerows which spread by sending up suckers from their roots providing slender unbranched rods in their first year. Use of this ancient basket mainly ceased in the 1960s, but one man still went out daily with his in the 1980s.', MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Description: Tendle, made from elm saplings with the bark left on. The basic frame is two hoops, the horizontal rectangular one being in two pieces meeting and overlapping where the handle hoop crosses it, and also six ribs. These and the two hoops are tied at either side by an elm sapling twist // Dimensions: inside dimensions 61cms. x 38cms. height – 15cms. height to top of handle – 33cms. // Associated information: Used for gathering oysters on the east coast of Suffolk and Essex. This example is 60 years old, and was given to the donor by an oysterman. Tendles were said to last two seasons when in use. // References: Wright, Dorothy. The complete book of baskets and basketry, 1977 p.151'

1900-01-01 - 1924-12-31

Early-twentieth century