Basket, picnic

This is a 'flail' or ‘frail’ basket of plaited rush with leather covered handles. It was made in Suffolk and used by the donor’s father’s labourers at Bryers Farm in Hawstead, Suffolk. It was used by farm workers to carry their meals – breakfast, elevenses, fourses and ‘beaver’ (a meal eaten by farm workers out in the open between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner) – and was large enough to …