Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-09
A CALIFORNIA CRAZE.
COLLECTING BASKETS FROM THE
MExlCANS AND INDIANS.

on the Pacific Slope-Hunting for Speci-
reconsideration Work OF the Dusky
Basketmakers.
The latest tad or craze In California.
especially In the southern portion Is 10
possess a collect ion 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 one discov
cred that the baskets possessed great
artistic beauty were rich in harmonious
coloring and formed attractive ornaments
for library and parior. 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 ones of the Span
ish and Mexican families
The baskets are exhausted, at least the
old ones being now in the bands of q few
collectors and others who viii not sell
them The baskets cost from 81 so to So
usually and bring from $40 to $50 apiece
Unless the reader has seen some OF these
works Of berbaric art this price viii seem
excessive but the graceful shape, the rich
brown tints the age and association give
them value appreciated by those who
cheapest way 10 make collection is to go
TO some collector and buy their baskets
outright, but the most pleasurable method
is to take a 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 Bernardino counties In the lat
ter counties are the remnants Of the Mis-
sion Indians hidden away In the noun
tains at pala. Pauma and at Pachanza
EXPERIENCES OF THx COLLECTOR
The experiences OF the amateur basket
collector are varied. and no better way in
which TO stGay the habits of the present
Indians can be found The successful
basket iend must have what Is popularity
known as cheek" 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 tine
majority of cases. say at first that they
have no baskets. and when they are pro
duced do no; wish TO sell on account Of
the ancient aunt or grandparent who has
handed them down IT. however, the
would be purchaser has the staying power
the basket can be secured The sellers
generally believe sie Americans to be
great fools for paying such prices A half
breed Informed the writer that the peoplS
were crazy and would give anything: and
with a laugh. be said They pay FIVE
times as much for the old ones as they do
for the new That basket which they
use to sift their hour 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 10 show the figures or color. or hung
over doors or In corners The lsge ones
find plaos 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
IL is as an art th-t the work of these
people cummends itsel:s, not alone in the
form OF The baskets but in the marking
and arrangement of colers. and that such
artistic feeling should be found among
people hose ideas Of art. as we recognize
IT, are OF the criIdeSt description. Is re
markable After so many years of asso
citation with white people it would not
appear strange il some OF their ideas of
ornameniatiun were obtained from Them,
vet this is extremely rare All the orna-
mentation is unique. possessing an ndi
viduahiy that cannot be mistaken The
lines are often graceful and OF great geo
metrical beauty radiating from the cen
ter A common design is a series Of tri
angular OF arrow shaped figures worked
into radiaiing lines Some seem to repre-
sent flashes of lightning in the EigZag
motion Human figures worked in. 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
teresislg 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 piggers 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
dians is valuable in several ways It is
characteristic of the different tribes, and
they can be traced by it Some baskets
are beautifully oriIamented with feathers,
81, flaf thau yp1adp