Antique Bee Baskets.

European Bee keeping baskets of various forms, used from earliest times, through the Middle Ages and into the 19th Century. Most are woven in the shape of ordinary household baskets from straw or raffia and a few have clay laid into the straw structure - the clay would act as insulation to keep the hive cooler or warmer in extreme weathers. The simplest type has a lid on top for easy access to the honey combs inside.