Connected Communities Woven Communities: Exploring the Dynamics of Socio-cultural Change through Material Culture Special Case Study on Scottish Vernacular basketry Dr Stephanie Bunn Background

Executive Summary Researchers and Project Partners

This scoping study began with the premise Dr Stephanie Bunn that material culture forms an invaluable University of St Andrews starting point for the exploration of the socio- Members of the Scottish Basket-makers cultural history and interconnectedness of Circle communities. The project has developed a special case study on Scottish vernacular Curatorial Advisors and Other basketry and, in collaboration with Scottish Regional Experts basket-makers, Scottish museum curators Lyndsay McGill and other experts, situates itself within both National Museums of regional and international concerns and research on this subject. Dorothy Kidd Scottish Life Archive, NMS We approached the study through examining Linda Fitzpatrick existing research on the interwoven domains Scottish Fisheries Museum of human action associated with Scottish vernacular basketry. In doing so, we aimed to Dr Ian Tait explore how the material fabric of social change Shetland Museums and Archives is enmeshed in human action, as communities Rachel Chisholme develop and respond to socio-economic and Highland Folk Museum technological shifts through time. Ian Edwards Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Greg Kenicer Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh

Key words

Basketry Woven Communities Collaboration Practice Socio-cultural change Process

1 Woven Communities

This project is both an exploration of available Scottish basketry research, research on different basket-making and -using communities and also an exploration collecting, and documentation: of the value of community engagement an overview during a research project. It is thus both a scoping study of interwoven domains of Early reports on the ‘decline’ of Scottish community knowledge and ‘research with the basketry were made by the Scottish Home communities’ themselves. Industries Association, formed 1889. Its aims This review paper presents a summary of both were largely liberal-philanthropic, aiming to the findings and the process. promote an appreciation of ‘home-made’ fabrics, improve their quality, and stop them falling into disuse, along with ‘promoting thrift Why basketry as a research and adding to the comfort and self-respect focus? of the poorer classes’ (Report 1912; Harrod 2000). The Association both reported on and Basket-work makes an excellent starting point promoted basketry in the Western Highlands, for a study of the dynamics of socio-cultural Caithness, Skye, Shetland and Orkney during change in Scotland because of its subtle, yet the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They persistent, presence in daily life. It is often noted that peat creels and other baskets perceived as a rather mundane domestic continued to be made in these regions, while craft, rendered almost obsolete following the also promoting classes and exhibitions, and industrial and petrochemical revolutions, and supporting local endeavours such as the the introduction of plastic bags, cardboard establishment of a basketworks in Kilmuir, Skye boxes and shopping trolleys. However, while (1909). historically basket-work was used in fishing, The first significant Scottish basket collectors, farming, crofting, made by local practitioners Evelyn Baxter and Leonora Rintoul, made a and by Travellers, it continued to play a role definitive collection of early 20th century through the Industrial Revolution and was Scottish vernacular basketry for the National also made into containers for carrying loads, Museums of Scotland. They also promoted measuring fish, for mill skips, hospital beds, the craft during the 1920s and 30s through chemical containers, and in transport, including basketry classes, the SWI, craft guilds, air travel. In the latter cases, such baskets were magazine articles, and supported basket supplied by basket-works and regional blind displays at Highland Shows. Examples from asylums. A study of the woven communities their collection were displayed in the Living of basket-makers and users therefore has the Traditions exhibition, Edinburgh 1951. potential to provide important insights into Isobel Grant, the great collector of ‘homely both the material fabric and the process of Highland things’ made an immense collection socio-cultural change. of baskets (over 100 artefacts) for the Highland Folk Museum from the 1930’s onwards.

2 WOVEN COMMUNITIES In Highland Folkways (1961), she noted how been mainly carried out by basket-makers, in wickerwork ‘was an important Highland craft’ particular, the Scottish Basketmakers Circle. (1988, 80) yet, perhaps due to its continued, The SBC was established 25 years ago. yet tacit, presence as a craft which she herself Members come together, linked by a common still used, she did not include it in the ‘Crafts’ concern to cooperate and pursue a creative section of her book, and most prominently interest. Early members researched and referred only to more unusual straw and bent travelled across Scotland meeting older grass basket artefacts in the ‘Common Tasks’ practitioners, learning about local skills, section (1961). Hope MacDougall (of the techniques and materials, as well establishing Hope MacDougall Collection) took a similar regional groups, running courses, and visiting approach, collecting and documenting baskets museum collections. The SBC have an which pertained to rural life, yet possessing a exceptional slide collection and library, as well vast number of ‘house baskets’ for her own use as a very informed membership, some of whom which remains undocumented. have published or produced films on the subject This collecting was given texture through (Wilkinson 2001; SBC 2002). Alexander Fenton’s Scottish Life Archive, Across Scotland, we found that locations established in 1959 at the National Museums where basket-makers live have provided rich of Scotland. The Archive includes drawings, sources of data, where local collections and photos, newspaper cuttings, handwritten notes practices are best known, where local social and old manuscripts of aspects of Scottish history and its use of baskets is best researched, social history. Fenton chose ‘Creels and baskets’ and where local plant resources have been as a defining category of his unique collection explored by makers themselves. (This is evident of facts on Scottish life. In parallel, the School on the developing pin map on our website.) of Scottish Studies holds significant collections Furthermore, the practice of basketry acts as a of recorded oral history and photography, kind of ‘provocation’ to other local people who including the Werner Kissling Photo-archive frequently may be compelled by witnessing the (which is duplicated in ). practice to communicate memories about local Kissling documented life in the Hebrides during and family historical basketry practices. the 1930s. He had a special interest in people’s use of straw, heather and other available materials to make necessities such as ropes, Scoping tour mats and bags, and also documented basket- making among Travellers and in basket-works Throughout the project, we combined textual in eastern Scotland. and archival research with a ‘scoping tour’ of A subsequent, more fallow documentary museum collections and archives. This tour period coincided with the final decline of was almost universally appreciated by curators vernacular basket-making throughout Scotland who benefitted from the knowledge of the in the 1950s and 60s, which paralleled the basketmakers in regard to materials, techniques mass-introduction of plastic and the use of and social history of their collections. By motorised transport in farming and crofting. combining frequent meetings with the Subsequent research, since the 1980s has National Museums of Scotland throughout the

3 project with one-off visits to local and regional to the strong sense of regional identity of these museums, we built up a picture of the pattern two areas, and increased availability of finance of use across Scotland with samples of more following the development of the oil industry. focused, in-depth, studies of regional variation. Western Scotland and Highland museums East coast museums and archives are extensive, had fewer, smaller collections. The Highland and very representational of east Scottish Folk Museum at , based on the Grant fishing history between the early 1800s and Collection is the exception. The majority of the 1950s. They contained the line baskets, this collection was drawn from the Outer sculls, rips, creels, bait baskets and quarter Hebrides, rather than the west coast or crans which were required for line-fishing, Highlands. The collection reveals the use of herring drifting and fish-wife travel and selling willow and hazel for the distinctive western in the region They reveal remarkable local Scottish creel, and similar use of bent grass, variation, both in the refinements to which oat straw and heather to the Northern Isles baskets could be developed for this trade, and for smaller containers and ropes. in style and terminology. There are several possible explanations for Southern Scottish museums of rural life these regional variations. Grant argues that are fewer, and their collections illustrate mid-19th century economic history, including less variation. ‘Tattie sculls’ (for potatoes) the Highland clearances and migration, predominated, made from willow, cane or spale accounts for part of the minimal material (wooden slats). Such baskets were treated hard evidence of the past (including baskets) from and did not last, but were made in profusion, the Highlands and west coast (2007, 100). In often by Travellers. Fruit baskets, bee skeps her view, however, differences are also linked and straw ropes were common, as were estate to the greater fertility of the eastern soil, and and sporting baskets for riverine fishing (quite varying influence of Norse invaders east to separate from marine fishing), curling baskets west (2007, 100). The introduction of late19th and horse panniers for grouse shooting. century herring drifters also concentrated the In the north, both Orkney and Shetland majority of herring fishing in the east coast museums have extensive collections. Baskets ports (1961, 250-77). Thus, agriculture and include regional variation of the creel or pannier fishing were both more restricted in the west, (the caisie or kishie), smaller baskets (budies and there was also less money in general to or bødies), and ropes, all made from different ‘conserve’ local heritage. combinations of black oat straw, bent (marram) grass, heather and to a degree, imported cane. Scoping through website All revealed a life style which had until recently construction been based on crofting, where baskets were needed for tasks such as peat gathering and The interactive website was intended to both the kelp industry, and crofting-fishing, and encourage viewers to send in information, where ‘conventional’ basketry materials such gathering knowledge, and to act as a as willow were largely absent. The extent and resource, becoming a compendium for future range of material in museum collections and publication. We used WordPress to build the archives in the Northern Isles is probably due site, which enabled us to maintain an on-going

4 WOVEN COMMUNITIES blog, and to be responsive as the site emerged. I artist Caroline Dear, CraftScotland director would strongly advocate this as both a method Emma Walker, and St Andrews ecologist of research and of ordering data. The site Rehema White. Shetland kishie maker Ewen has enabled us to build up a dynamic visual Balfour produced a straw kishie during the representation of the interwoven nature of event, and basket-makers taught practical communities that we have been scoping. The skills at the beginning of each morning and blog also acts as a ‘field-work diary’ of our afternoon session. scoping tours and other events. The benefits of the symposium extended The site is producing an on-going and beyond the event itself. Its construction and expanding response. In the past two months inception helped develop our framework for alone we have been sent over 300 images situating this project within a wider theoretical and texts to upload (which we are still in the and regional field. Once work on this study is process of doing as I write this), and material is complete, we will be looking for a publisher for coming in all the time. We see this interactive, this material. Every speaker was filmed and growing aspect of the site as a sign of the we will be linking podcasts of these speakers success of the project. to the website. The event, and our ongoing involvement with the National Museums of Scoping through workshop and Scotland have also resulted in the NMS putting together a proposal for a future exhibition symposium linked to the project.

The Woven Communities Symposium was Outcomes an extremely productive event, and feedback from all participants was entirely positive. I attribute this to the great breadth of experience 1. Interactive website which will form and knowledge of the speakers and workshop a compendium. leaders, and the strong support of the basket- http://scottishbasketmakerscircle.org/ makers from the SBC who supported the event, communities/ and also pushed me to include several practical 2. A selection of symposium papers to be elements, critical for such a project. edited and submitted for publication. Contributors included international basket 3. Videoed papers which will be linked to the archaeologist Willeke Wendrich, art historian website. Victoria Mitchell, botanist Greg Kenicer, Australian material culture specialist Graeme 4. A proposal for an exhibition linked to the Were, international fibre-artist Lois Walpole, Woven Communities project submitted to Spanish basket-maker and researcher Carlos the National Museums of Scotland by their Fontales, the Heritage Craft Association and museum curators. anthropological theorist Tim Ingold, alongside 5. Academic paper Making plants and growing contributions from myself, Shetland curator baskets, to be published by T. Ingold and Ian Tait, Anstruther curator Linda Fitzpatrick, E. Hallam in their forthcoming volume Gaelic scholar Hugh Cheape, Scottish Life Growing and Making, Ashgate. Archive director Dorothy Kidd, Skye heather

5 6. This discussion paper which can inform were more specialized, while in the west, policy in sustainable craft heritage. where crofting-fishing prevailed, the opposite was the case. Here, the study 7. A developing methodological framework, reveals community intersections and also which could act as a model for future temporal dynamics. community research collaborations and knowledge exchange. »» Interwoven contemporary communities of practitioners, academics, curators, ecologists, and craft entrepreneurs. The Executive Conclusion interconnections between the concerns of these communities was most evident 1. Basket-work as a focus for insights in the outcomes of the symposium. The into socio-cultural change. By focusing project reveals how intellectual and on an everyday artefact, the Scottish practical concerns about sustainable vernacular basket, and its presence craft heritage are not restricted to one in Scottish regional texts, museums, community as opposed to another. There archives, and ethno-botanical sources, is also an intergenerational concern about we have explored overlapping domains of reproduction of skill and artefacts. knowledge and produced insights into the interwoven nature of Scottish communities 2. Studies about communities with in three areas. communities »» Interwoven domains of technical skill, It may seem self-evident that communities can local ethno-botanical knowledge contribute in multiple ways to research about and economic needs. This is evident their own practices. This is certainly the case firstly through engagement and when studying skills or expertise. This project, I collaboration with local groups. think, has shown the value of this approach. Secondly, following Ellen (2009), we see 3. Moving forward how socio-historical factors are manifest The emergent and ephemeral nature of in basketry production and use, and craft heritage makes the reproduction of how disruptions in specific domains of such practices and their role in society both basketry knowledge can affect cultural difficult to pin down, or foster. As Hallam change in other domains. and Ingold (2007) argue, these practices »» Interwoven past (and present) are communicated in the doing, in an communities, from fishing to crofting, improvisatory way, which makes advice to from agriculture to industry. The policy for the promotion of craft heritage dynamics between and within these doubly challenging. groups has become increasingly visible during the scoping study, and especially It is clear that an aspect of basketry’s in the website construction. Most obsolescence in Scotland is due to economic specifically, we can see how the regional factors and basketry’s replaceability by saying ‘Don’t mix farm and fish’ is more mechanically produced artefacts, and that evident in the east, where livelihoods this has had an impact on Scottish biodiversity

6 WOVEN COMMUNITIES and plant management, technical skills and community practices. During the symposium, however, following the final breakout session on heritage, sustainability and craft entrepreneurship, we came to the conclusion that marketability could never be the sole driving factor in the production of craft in a contemporary context, or indeed an historic one. Skill, learning and heritage are clearly also of value to contemporary (and past) practitioners, as this scoping study shows. These factors, along with economic necessity, would seem to play a significant role in the sustainability of its production.

7 References and external links

Butler, L. (ed) 2000 Scotland’s Crafts. Tait, I. 2000 Rural Life in Scotland and Edinburgh: NMS Publishing. Guidebook to the Croft House Museum. Lerwick: Cheape, H. 2000 Crafts and Crofts in Scotland. In L. Butler 2000 Scotland’s Crafts. Thomson, W. 1920 The Baskets of Newstead Edinburgh: NMS Publishing. and Ness. Ellen, R 2009 A modular approach to Wilkinson, J. and Vedmore, A. 2001 Craft understanding the transmission of technical Willows in Scotland. Fife: Wilkinson and knowledge: Nuaulu basket-making from Vedmore. Seram, eastern Indonesia. In Journal of Material www.ambaile.org.uk/ Culture 2009, 145: 243-76 www.scran.ac.uk/ Grant, I. 1961 Highland Folk Ways. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul www.st-andrews.ac.uk/library/ specialcollections/ Grant, I. 2007 The Making of Am Fasgadh. Edinburgh: NMS Enterprises Harrod, T. 2000 For Love and not for Money: Reviving ‘Peasant Art in Britain 1880-1930. In D. Crowley and L. Taylor, The Lost Arts of Europe. Haslemere Educational Museum. 2000 Ingold, T. and Hallam E. 2007 Creativity and Cultural Improvisation: an Introduction. In Hallam, E. and Ingold, T. Creativity and Cultural Improvisation. London: Berg Living Traditions 1951 Living Traditions: 1951 Festival Exhibition of Scottish Architecture and Crafts. Edinburgh: Royal Scottish Museum Milliken and Bridgewater 2004 Flora Celtica: Plants and People in Scotland. Edinburgh: Birlinn Park, J. 2004 Simmans, Sookans and Straw Backed Chairs. Kirkwall: The Orcadian Report 1914 Report to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland on the Home Industries in the Highlands and Islands. Edinburgh: Neill and Co Russell, M. 2002 A Different Country: the Photographs of Werner Kissling. Edinburgh: Birlinn Scottish Basketmakers Circle 2002 Kishie Making with Lowrie Copland. Norfilm Ltd

8 WOVEN COMMUNITIES The Connected Communities

Connected Communities is a cross-Council Programme being led by the AHRC in partnership with the EPSRC, ESRC, MRC and NERC and a range of external partners. The current vision for the Programme is: “to mobilise the potential for increasingly inter- connected, culturally diverse, communities to enhance participation, prosperity, sustainability, health & well-being by better connecting research, stakeholders and communities.” Further details about the Programme can be found on the AHRC’s Connected Communities web pages at: www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/ connectedcommunities.aspx www.connectedcommunities.ac.uk