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By Luis Manuel Peña. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

The large farm basket weaved from chestnut wood strips was primarily used for transportation of harvested grass, but it did serve other purposes. Here are two most remarkable uses for the harvest basket in and around Gernika:

When a hen became broody, it was placed under the harvest basket to stop it from sitting on eggs. The hen was only allowed to leave the isolation basket for food and water. A broody hen would distinctively pluck out its feathers and make it difficult for other hens to lay their eggs by hogging the nest. At the slightest drop of guard, it would try and stubbornly hatch an unfertilized clutch, a futile act that often resulted in eggs being spoiled from overheating or even broken. Discouraging broodiness is not an easy task and might last as long as a fortnight. (more…)