Object number
65/284
Title
Prawn pot,
Exhibition
Creator
Description
This basketwork prawn pot, for catching prawns, was made by Mr Edgell of Mudeford, Dorset. It is made from unpeeled red willow, grown on the River Avon and cut during winter, and insulating wire. It is made with stakes which have been fitched and waled into a hemi-spherical shape and has a funnel. It is similar in design to the basketwork lobster pot, but with the rods much closer together. The pot is weighted with three stones tied to the bottom with insulating wire, and it has a wire handle. These baskets would be taken out to sea by boat, baited with rotting chicken heads, fish heads or harbour crabs, weighted with stones, and laid to lie on the seabed.
Physical description
1 basket: willow (red); wire
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: POT (prawn, basketwork) // Acc. No.: 65/284 // Group: FISHING. SEA // Neg. no.: 60/7169 // Place of origin: Mudeford. Hants. // Period in use: Present // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Red willow with the bark on, gathered in winter & grown on the river Avon. Insulating wire. // Shape and construction: Much the same as the lobster pot (64/207) but with the rods much closer together, they increase from 11 at the neck to 70 when the first of the 3 spirals of pairing are put on. Weighted with 3 stones tied on the bottom with insulating wire. A rough handle of the same, twisted. // Dimensions: Height: 9”. Across neck: 5”. Across bottom: 16” // Use: For catching prawns. The bait used may be chicken heads, fish heads & harbour crabs, all of which have gone bad. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes: see Notebook I. p.79 for dialect names of parts of construction. // Dorset type appears the same – see 35/5519. Dorchester Museum.'
Production place
Mudeford
Production date
1900-01-01 - 1999-12-31
Production period
Twentieth century
Object name
Material
Technique
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_7169.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\65_284_cob.tif - High resolution image
