The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-02
A CALIFORNIA CRAZE.
COLLECTING BASKETS FROM THE
MexlCANS AND INDIANS.
The Latest Fad Among Artistic People
on tho Pacific Siope-Hunting for spec''
mens-Beautifui Work OF tho Dusky
Bask etmakers.


The latest fad or craze in California,
especially In the southern portion, Is 70
possess a collection of Indian baskets. 1t
Is the correct thing, and some of the most
artistic homes In the state have rooms
decorated with them Who started the
craze is not known. but some ono discov-
cred that the baskets possessed great
artistic beauty, were rich in harmonious
coloring and formed attractive ornaments
for library and paror. and the demand
began. II was the old story OF new lamps
for old, and dealers and others went
around the country exchanging new mod
ern baskets for the old o.cs Of the Span
ish and Mexican families
The baskets are exhausted, at least the
old ones, being noS in the hands OF a few
collectors and others who will not sell
them. The baskets cost from $3.50 TO ~
usually, and bring from $40 to $50 apiece
Unless the reader has seen some OF these
works of barbsric art this price will seem
excessive; but the graceful shape, the ric.i
brown tints, the age and association. give
them value appreciated by those who
have engaged in their collection. The
cheapest way TO make collection Is to go
to some collector and buy their baskets
outright; but the most pleasurable method
Is to take carriage and go about the
country among the Indians and Mexicans
and buy them ones self Many Of the
finest baskets come from the Indians
north of San Francisco, and others have
been collected in Los Angeles. San Diego
and San Bcrnardino counties. In the lat
d. I. -. Of ia
sion Indians, hidden away in the noun
tains at Pala, Pauma and at Pachanza
EXPERIENCES OF TIT; COLLECTOR.
The experiences of the amateur basket
collector are varied and no better way in
which to study the habits of the present
Indians can be found The successful
basket fend must have what is popularity
known as check" must walk into the
bedrooms and private apartments, insist
upon trunks being opened and contents
shown. This may seem a high handed
proceeding, but it is necessary, as even
while the people wish to sell they, in the
majority of cases, say at first that they
have no baskets, and when they are pro
duced do not wish to sell OIL account Of
the ancient aunt or grandparent who has
handed them down. If, however the
would be purchaser has the staying power
the basket can be secured. The sellers
generally believe the Americans to be
great fools for paying such prices. A half
breed informed the writer that the people
were crazy and would give anything; and
with laugh, he said: They pay five
times as much for the old ones as they do
for the new" That a basket which they
use to sift their -four in could serve as an
ornament is beyond their conception; yet
this is the end to which these old utensils
are put. They are tackled against the
walls to show the figures or color, or hung
over doors or in corners. The large ones
find place near the fire TO hold the wood,
while others are distributed about the
library for papers and magazines; indeed,
their usefulness grows upon one. The
finest collections are photographed by
their owners and make fine and artistic
showing.
1t is as an art that the work of these
people commends itself, not alone in the
form Of the baskets, but in the marking
and arrangement of colors; and that such
artistic feeling should be found among
people whose ideas of art, as we recognize
1t, are of the crudest description, is re-
markable. After SO many years Of asso.
citation with white people it would not
appear strange if some Of their ideas Of
ornamentation were obtained from them,
yet this is extremely rare. All the orna-
mentation is unique, possessing an indi-
viduality that cannot be mistaken. The
lines are often graceful and of great geo
metrical beauty. radiating from the cen
ter common design is series OF tri-
angular or arrow shaped figures worked
into radiating lines. Some seem to repre-
sent flashes Of lightning In the zigzag
motion. Human figures worked i'll, often
extending completely around the basket.
with clasped hands, are seen in some OF
the best baskets. while deer ami other
animals are sometimes introduced. The
colors are usually dull reds or browns,
yellows and black, and in almost every
case the blending is harmonious. Where
these people obtain their ideas is an in
terestng question, but probably from
nature-the foliage, the bending grasses,
etc, suggesting the lines of grace and
beauty.
METHODS OF BASKET MAKING.
1t is not necessary to go far from the
centers OF civilization to see basket
makets The Diggers produce beautiful
baskets not far from San Francisco, while
the Indians about Monterey, Santa Bar
bara, Los Angeles and other localities still
make coarse ones in the same primitive
way.
The basket work of the California In
dams is valuable in several ways. 1t is
Characteristic of tho different tribes, and
they can be traced by it Some baskets
are beautifully ornamented with feathers,
and this shows shat they were made by
tho Indians north of San Francisco One
for which large sum was recently paid
is ornamerted with the red feathers Of the
woodpecker, while around the edge are
the plumes Of the plumed quail The
feathers are woven in while the basket is
being made. Fineness and age are two
important qualifications.
The California Indians employ two gen
eral methods in basket making; the coil
is either twined or whipped. The Dig
gers. as before stated, produce fine baskets