Domes , are made with a simple curved line possibly representing a wigwam. Domes are often used in medallion designs the way wigwams are grouped in a village. Dots, circles used by themselves or in lines, probably represent individual people, plants, animals or spiritual forces. Leaves and curls were also used just by themselves, with medallions, or combined with curls to make plants and vines. Leaves may be a literal symbol of the land.
Trails are lines of domes, leaves, or curls linked together in a line or chain.
By the late 1800's these trails were not just used as borders, but as the main figure on baskets. Trails may record the records kept by Nipmuc families during the 1800's. The trail suggests the path one travels through life. Stockades, c hains or lines that delineate design lay-outs, were common on baskets made before 1840. The chains used in stockades seem to represent borders on the landscape or between people.