Le Vieux Ponier à cou

My family — my father, his grandfather, and his great uncle — all made ponier à cou (traditional Guernsey fishing, or ormering, baskets) using wire frames. This basket - which I am calling Le Vieux Ponier à Cou - is made with buff willow ribs, brittany green willow weavers and a hazel wood handle. 

In earlier generations, ponier á cou would have been made in all willow. There are one or two such examples in the National Trust of Guernsey collection. Over time, materials were chosen to better suit the practical demands of fishing (as made by my father), and wire ribs were added to improve the robustness and longevity of these working baskets. 

My research has revealed many variations of the ponier à cou, including differences in size, shape, and number of ribs, as well as 19th-century examples made entirely with willow ribs. One really interesting basket in the National Trust of Guernsey collection features wire doubled alongside the main willow ribs, possibly illustrating the transition from one tradition to another. 

Of all the old ponier à cous that I have seen, there are many slight variations and nuances in design - marks of the individual makers. These baskets were not official measures made in strict sizes. They all vary. However, key features that are common to all the ponier à cous appear to be their rounded, curved front shaping, the straight wooden handle which creates part of the frame, the flat back of the basket made with horizontal ribs, a willow wrap on the handle and a rope shoulder strap. Predominantly made by fisher-folk, these baskets have a fascinating history.

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