A pair of Caughley chestnut baskets, covers and stands painted with the Salopian Sprig pattern, circa 1780-90, stand 28cm wide, basket 20cm wide (unmarked) (6) Provenance: Wright Collection nos.903, the first basket purchased from Ute March in 2012 and the second basket not long afterwards. Literature: Newsletter May 2016 66 p.19. Chestnuts have been eaten since prehistoric times and were an important dietary staple since they could be cooked and eaten fresh from September through November when they were harvested. As recently as the 19th century, some Europeans substituted chestnuts for grain products. Dried chestnuts were such a valued staple in the Napoleonic era that the Italian government actually placed a tax on them, while the chestnut trees were counted like residents in the official census.