The herald., 1894-04-29
ALL ABOUT INDIAN BASKETS.
The Remarkable Collection of
Mrs. Jewett.
Unirse Sea She'll Luncheon Wish a
Fish Menu.
Indian Baeksta the Great Speciality Of
Southern Canfsrnia-'Ps scni!ar-
ittes-or Collar aad shape.
esme Details.

following interesting article:
SAN FRANcIsco. March 20.-I want
TO tell yen of my. visit 70 Mrs. S. Jewett
in Pasadena and her collection OF Indian
baskets. Now theae same baskets are
something we. hear little about In tho
east, and something We (thst is, some
of us) know less of. yet-betore the tour
let puts foot on Caliiornia soilheor she
(geRerally she) has learned that Indian
baskets are thesgreat specially, Of South
ern California; that shey possess match
less andvaried beauty; that they are
OF prices ranging from high to highes5; /;
that many arc in fact. priceless that
there are only few satisfactory coliec-
tioaa OF them; that Mrs. Je we1b and
Mra. Lowe st Pasadena hive the bast
collectl9ne; that their value increRssD
rapidly; that Of all the ceriQs OF Mexi'
can or Indian ckerFcter, or natural
growth. there is notn.9,.; III this part ST
the world so much to DO G1,i Il es la
dian baskets. And the aforesAl5 ser
age tourist is bound to be disappointed
when the shopping for baskets begins
and one Is shown the article, big, little,
and all eizes between, in nearly
every shape excepting a graceful one,
and usually Of two coiors-a pale tan Or
cream figured awkwardly enough in
J very dark brown. Some have a toucl
Of other faded suggestions OF color, and,
indeed, a few are brilliant in scarlat,
yellow and black and small round beads
OF red, blue and white deity woven in
with the grasses and made still gayer
with strings of peariy abalone she'll.
But these brighter ones, tnat really are
sometimes pretty, are "tonch-me-not
in price. The only one | dared think of
looking at with view to possession wac
=, round, and perhaps s or 10 inches in
! diameter. When told it was only $50
and very cheap at that, | concluded not
to begin my collection with GO costly a
nest-egg, lest should be as unfortunate
as fellow tourist, now meditating
somewhere in this famed land Of sun
, shine and flowers, who has go far been
viesimizsd by the basket craze that che
is seriously contemplating whether enc
shall purchase just one more OF those
choice relics and walk to her Now Eng
land home or eacrifics this addition to
her collection and steam back.
CHARMING AFTERNOON.
But must tell you OF my charming
afternoon with Mrs. Jewett in her re-
markRble little mUscum in Pasadena.
She introduced mo TO the basket lere by
an account OF two moH5 original lunch
eon parties she gave whila ago on q
platform measuring 10xlG ieet, built up
in the branctng arms ci grand OLD live
oak near her residence. There were 10
at the table, and the enteEtaiAma2t wGe
entirsly piacatorlal. The menu and
name cards wero SftiaiicaiIy dscornted
A., 49,
ments were wholly of shella or from
some form OF OCEAN life. THIS mounting
OF spoona and diahes for this repass cost
500. Small polished and decorated
scollop ehells hold salted almonds Of
every cover. The first course OF C,aIae
was Eerved at each place on three black
lined shells held together with ailver
mountinge. This WAS followed by sull
number OF courses, all OF 6sh. The
spoons were polished limpot shells with
pearl handles; plates weTe Of the pearl
oyster ehell, finely polished, wnlie email
pink murex shells lrcm ka1 Diego bay
served as punch cups. Spicsd oysters in
large pink abalone ehells from Santa
Barbara graced the table ShTimps
mads in largo dark green and blue
abalone gold mounted ehells must have
been exceedingly pretty, while gold
banded oyster shells from Ceylon held
some sort of a suitable sweet used as
dessert. Two huge pearl oyster shells
from the lower Pacific held sandwiches
at either end of the quaint table, and q
very large howl OF white coral held a
reserve supply OF the almonds. This
coral dish was brought over on the first
,trip made by that removed missionary
ship, the Morning Star. The center
piece ot this unique table service was
a large bouquet of various colored sea
mosses in lovely paper ehell nautilus.
g. ] couldn't just see the connection be-
tween the account of this interesting
shell luncheon party in big live oak
tatree and the Indian basket collection l
" had come to see, but the description
r was so graphic and go beautifully Illus
trated by fine photography and the eX-
quisite shell dishes and spoons that it
added much to the charm OF my visit.
BEGINNING THE COLLECTION.
Nine years ago Mrs. Jewett began her
basket collection, which now numbers
8 127 from % different tribes OF North
( American Indiane, and which she will
Fnow sell for S5000 although loath to
Epart with it at any price. The severe
( pressure OF the times is felt even in the
lovely valley of San Gabriel, so that the
opportunity ia thus opened to secure for
t6ome national or state museum q most
T rare addition to an Indian collection.
These baskets give the initiated vivid
picture OF the lives and habits of the
various tribes. They were the sole
bandiwork of the squGwe, who devoted
much OF their lives to their manufac-
ture. While beginning b..eket weaving
very early in lie, they were never al
lowed to finish one unt.l the squaw had
passed the priAAe of her years. Basket
work was employed to make skull caps
and big hats Tor both sexes; all their
food r"ceLtaclos were OF this work ;
1t was used TO make water bottlos,
which were covered within and
without with q aort CT pitca and rem
dered absolutely waterproof Some water
jars were or'y pitched inside and were
very timely woven and large. | fancied
could see how the mother OF Moseg
made that i.tGle baaGot, and covering it
with pitch placed therein her beloved
babe and hid it amcng the reeds OF
which 1t was made. The grain si!ters
OF fanciiul open work we're Interesting.
S9r1e were quite large, round end con.
cave. to be shaken by both banda as tina
wind blew the chRtf away. Others had
an ingenious hollow haadle, and we're
SNAPPED like sort OF coal shovel which
could be RhaheE IN the wind, aai whan