77/324

The origin of this bicycle basket is not known. It is made from buff willow with a plywood base. It is a D-shaped basket, with a curved front and a flat back, and has a square notch to enable attachment to the front of a bicycle.

1 basket: willow; good condition

MERL ‘Stakeholders’ recording form, December 2013 – Object number: 77/324 // Name of recorder: Sue Kirk and Angie Tavernor // General construction method: Stake and strand, assembly // Overall shape: D-shaped with blunt corners // Materials: Base – plywood. Buff willow side stakes – 5-foot rods. Buff willow weavers – 4-foot rods. // Base: Plywood board with 25 drilled holes. Small track border foot. // Sides: 25 stakes from base. 4 layers of 3 rod wale; then English rand using 28 rods; then 1 row of 3-rod wale finishing with butts; then double rand incorporating square work at back; 1 row of 3-rod wale; then English rand using 10 rods; then 1 row of 3-rod wale to finish. // Border: 3-rod border going behind 1. // Handles: Hole in back in centre positioned between 2 rows of 3-rod wale. Some wear on border above hole. Hole doesn’t look like it’s been used for attachment to bike. // Lid: – // Dimensions: Base 27cm x 19cm. Top 32.5cm x 22cm. Height 21cm. // Anything else to note about this particular basket: Rods are crammed into corners carefully – possibly to strengthen corners. English lower double rand continued above double rand where previous finishes with 1 space between – possibly to fill/make basket level. // Anything else to note about this type of basket: Must have been made after plywood manufactured. The maker was an intermediate maker as side stakes at back are not central. But maker knew a large range of techniques., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: BASKET, bicycle // Accession number: 77/234 // … // Recorder: Betts J. M. // Date: 31.1.79 // Description: Traditional woven bicycle basket with wooden base. // Made from willow. // Dimensions: Width 31.0 cm Height 21.0 cm Depth 22.0 cm’

1977

Wood, willow, buff, Wood, plywood

Basketry, stake and strand, Basketry, assembled

Kirk, Sue (Recorder)
Tavernor, Angie (Recorder)