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History Of Use

Traditionally, plunge baskets are subsistence gear used by women in shallow water. Normally a conical trap open at both ends, constructed with closely set ribs made of sticks or bamboo splinters and hooped at 3-4 places with split cane or similar material. The free ends of the splinters at the wide mouth are usually sharpened so that the device could be pushed down to fix the projecting ribs into the bottom. (Information from "Use of plunge baskets by women in subsistence fishery in Thailand during 1950s", an article by the Fish Consulting Group.)

Description

A bamboo plunge trap used for catching fish. The trap is shaped like an inverted cone, with a narrow top and wide bottom. It has a thick, circular, wooden rim at the top. Bamboo strips are joined to the rim and extend downward, growing farther apart as the distance increases. Near the rim, there are two bamboo rings, one on the inside, and one on the outside of the trap. Metal wire is woven across both rings, securing the bamboo strips in between them. Four more bamboo rings are positioned inside of the trap, and secured to the bamboo strips by metal wire. The rings grow larger the farther they extend from the rim. Between the third and fourth bamboo rings, there is a thicker, darker, rounded ring secured in place by five bamboo wedges. At this point the trap bends more sharply, so that the bamboo strips are all parallel to one another as they reach the bottom of the trap. Near the bottom, a sixth, ring made of metal wire has been woven around the bamboo strips to further secure them. The end of each bamboo strip comes to a point.

Narrative

Trap displayed in an exhibition in 1997 titled, "Fishing Baskets of Asia Pacific"; related to Canada's Year of Asia Pacific programming.