Shoulder pole
Encyclopedia
A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, a milkmaid's yoke in the West, an auamo ki'i in Hawaii, and a biǎndan , is a yoke
of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. This is done by either suspending the load from each end with one individual carry the pole, or by two individuals supporting each end of the yoke, with the load suspended in the middle.
It is still widely used in East Asia
n countries, and was once also used in the West, in particular by milkmaids. It has been used in the United States, Australia, and Europe.
or bamboo
yoke
, usually tapered. From each end of the yoke, a load of equal mass is suspended. The load me be a basket of goods, pail of milk, water or other liquid, suspended on rope. The load may be hung directly from the yoke, without any rope.
The individual carries the device by balancing the yoke upon one or both shoulders. The Western milkmaid's yoke is fitted over both shoulders. However, the East Asian type is carried on one shoulder. This allows the wearer to orient the yoke along the path of travel, in order to more easily navigate crowded areas.
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 are attach the basket to the ends of the yoke. Throughout China, the baskets usually include a cover. However, 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 shoulder pole has distinct advantages over the vending cart, the other main manual conveyance of goods in East Asia. The shoulder 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 an truck from their village. From a central area, the vendors disburse, selling their goods. Later in the day, they return to the truck are return to the village. Independent vendors are also often allowed to transport their shoulder poles on intercity buses, and can be seen entering cities to sell their goods.
A modern type is used to transport canoes. The gunwale
s 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, allowing the carrier to see where they are going.
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. This is done by either suspending the load from each end with one individual carry the pole, or by two individuals supporting each end of the yoke, with the load suspended in the middle.
It is still widely used in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n countries, and was once also used in the West, in particular by milkmaids. It has been used in the United States, Australia, and Europe.
Design and usage
The basic design is a woodWood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
or bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
yoke
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
, usually tapered. From each end of the yoke, a load of equal mass is suspended. The load me be a basket of goods, pail of milk, water or other liquid, suspended on rope. The load may be hung directly from the yoke, without any rope.
The individual carries the device by balancing the yoke upon one or both shoulders. The Western milkmaid's yoke is fitted over both shoulders. However, the East Asian type is carried on one shoulder. This allows the wearer to orient the yoke along the path of travel, in order to more easily navigate crowded areas.
Milkmaid's yoke
Typically, the yoke is made of wood, and is carved to fit around the shoulders. Pails for carrying milk are suspended from metal chains.East Asian
Although obsolete in the West, 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 are attach the basket to the ends of the yoke. Throughout China, the baskets usually include a cover. However, 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 shoulder pole has distinct advantages over the vending cart, the other main manual conveyance of goods in East Asia. The shoulder 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 an truck from their village. From a central area, the vendors disburse, selling their goods. Later in the day, they return to the truck are return to the village. Independent vendors are also often allowed to transport their shoulder poles on intercity buses, and can be seen entering cities to sell their goods.
Two-person
This type requires two or more individuals supporting each end of the yoke, with the load suspended in the middle.Other uses
It is also used as a musical instrument for traditional folk dance by the Zhuang people.A modern type is used to transport canoes. The gunwale
Gunwale
The gunwale is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat.Wale is the same word as the skin injury, a wheal, which, too, forms a ridge. Originally the gunwale was the "Gun ridge" on a sailing warship. This represented the strengthening wale or structural band added to the design...
s 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, allowing the carrier to see where they are going.
