Carrying pole

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A wooden carrying pole in Haikou, Hainan Province, China. Shoulder pole 01.jpg
A wooden carrying pole in Haikou, Hainan Province, China.
A milkmaid walking with a shoulder yoke, shown with another female farmworker carrying a rake and a wicker backpack, painting by Gari Melchers Melchers, In Holland.jpg
A milkmaid walking with a shoulder yoke, shown with another female farmworker carrying a rake and a wicker backpack, painting by Gari Melchers

History

It is still widely used in East Asia, and was previously used in the Western world, in particular by milkmaids. It was once part of the European culture, and was subsequently brought to Australia [3] and the United States. It was also commonly used in Sri Lanka, where it was called Pingo. There are early 19th century postcards from Ceylon with Pingo Carriers. [4]

In ancient Greece, it was called asilla (ἄσιλλα) or anaphoron (ἀνάφορον) and was a wooden pole or yoke carried by a person, either across both shoulders or, more commonly, on one shoulder and used for transporting burdens. [5] [6]

Types

Canoe

Many canoes include a thwart shaped like a yoke to aid in carrying the boat. The gunwales of the inverted canoe rest upon the ends of the yoke, which is normally positioned slightly ahead of the centre of gravity of the vessel. This allows the bow to tip slightly upward when being transported, giving the carrier a view in the direction of travel when being portaged.

East Asian

Two Chinese women using carrying poles to transport produce Nanjing, China. Chinese women are carrying basket.jpg
Two Chinese women using carrying poles to transport produce Nanjing, China.

This device is still widely used in East Asia, and is considered an icon of the region.

The yoke of this type is sometimes made of wood, but is usually made of bamboo. A large diameter piece of bamboo is used. It is split to produce a fairly flat piece, which is then tapered at each end. A notch is cut at the ends, similar in shape to an arrow head. This prevents the ropes from slipping off. The bamboo yoke is normally between 1 and 1.5 meters in length, and carried with the curved (outside surface) of the bamboo against the shoulder. Three ropes, about 0.5 metres each, attach the basket to the ends of the yoke. [7] Throughout China, the baskets usually include a cover, but these are rarely used. They are normally kept inverted on the top of the baskets. The goods are placed within the inverted cover.

This device is not only used to transport goods, but is very commonly used as a point of sale. A vendor fills the baskets with goods, normally fruits and vegetables, a small stool, plastic bags, and a scale, and selects a roadside location in a place with plenty of foot traffic. There, they sell their goods. Often, they move from one place to another depending on sales.

The carrying pole has distinct advantages over the vending cart, the other main manual conveyance of goods in East Asia. The carrying pole can be transported within a motorized vehicle. It is common in China for a group of vendors to enter an urban area each morning in a truck from their village. From a central area, the vendors disperse, selling their goods. Later in the day, they return to the truck then to their village. Independent vendors are also often allowed to transport their carrying poles on intercity buses, and can be seen entering cities to sell their goods.

South Asia

See also

References

  1. Joseph K. Campbell, Dibble sticks, donkeys, and diesels: machines in crop production , p. 274
  2. 1 2 "Yale Peabody Museum : Education: Shoulder pole or Carry Pole". Peabody.yale.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  3. "Chinese". Territory Stories (Photograph). hdl: 10070/14188 .
  4. "Pingo carrier, Ceylon."
  5. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Asilla
  6. Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Asilla
  7. "老物什:扁担". Tynews.com.cn. 2010-03-04. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
Carrying pole
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 擔杖
Simplified Chinese 担杖
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin dànzhàng