Baskets kept at Aberdeen Museum Services Store, Mintlaw 2016

2 fishwife's back creels with details of the carrying band often known as an Iris ( pronounced eereesh), skeds set in underneath to protect the base and photos of the sculpture of a fishwife in Peterhead who is carrying one of these baskets and an arm basket.    The baskets are top heavy when empty and do not stand up so they must always have been carried around and stood upside down when empty.  Some are made of cane, some of willow.

Arm baskets, some in cane, some in willow.  The one with no handle is the finest made, with skeined cane.   The handle had been broken.

Here are two quirky baskets - they are tiny as you can see and look just like miniature Yarmouth swills.   One has a Norwegian flag  painted on so there must be a fascinating story behind their arrival in this museum store.

This is another interesting basket.  It is beautifully made and obviously has a specific use.   It has a latch and little handle.

There were several skulls in the collection and we took down the best of them.  They were all very well used.  These were baskets taken out by local fishermen with a baited long line.  This was inshore fishing and an ancient tradition.  The bait was gathered by women in arm baskets and then they would bait the line.   This was lifted onto the boat and a woman would sometimes carry her man onto the boat so he would not get his feet wet before setting out to sea.