Round lidded basket. Basket is woven in narrow strips on the exterior, with wider strips used for the interior lining along with four extra large strips on bottom. Interior and exterior are sewn together with stitching below rim and on bottom. Exterior has undyed leaf woven with dyed leaf in pink, light green, and shades of purple, laying on the diagonal and creating wide sections in each colour. Bottom is a vibrant swirl of these colours. Lid (part b) is constructed in an identical way, with a loop at top centre serving as a handle.

• History Of Use

  Sewing basket.

• Narrative

  In 1965 the maker had visited Canada, and visited the donor's parents. During that time his mother commissioned her to make a round basket with a lid. It came in the mail, from Pitcairn Island, in 1966.

• Specific Techniques

  These baskets are made from leaves from pandanus trees that grow on Pitcairn. The leaves are cut, the prickles on the back rib removed with a knife, the leaves rolled into balls, boiled in water, then dried in the sun or a cool oven. Then they are straightened, rolled again, then loosened and dyed various colours (several leaves at a time). The excess dye water is wiped off and the leaves spread to dry again. The leaves are stripped and woven over wooden moulds into baskets. The dyes used in the 1960s were powder dyes from the UK.

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• Type of Item basket
• Culture Eastern Polynesian
• Material pandanus leaf, dye
• Measurements height 12.5 cm, diameter 22.0 cm (part a) height 7.0 cm, diameter 22.0 cm (part b)

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• Creator Lillian Young
• Previous Owner Turrall Adcock Moore
• Received from Turrall Adcock Moore

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• Creation Date during 1966
• Ownership Date before October 17, 2016
• Acquisition Date on October 17, 2016

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• Item Classes basketry
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3204/0017 a-b