The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-09-14
MAR, VELOUS
BASKl E,T S

The 1913 native Indian baskets, com
pris1ng the famous Hudson collection
Im6the National Museum at Washing
ton, afford some interesting glimpses
into the superstitions and aspirations
Of the primitive Americans. They
show, too, the very highest develop
ment of the art of basket making, to-
day, as well as in the past. The collec-
ton ton is scientifically valuable from the
TACT that it represents the Pomo In
dams before their deteriorating in
fuence Of the white man had made it.
self felt while the art was yet at the
zenith Of its development. While the
collection embraces examples of every
form in domestic work of gathering
and storing, grinding and cooking the
acorn, which is the staff of life of these
Indians, it is particularly rich in .sacra-,
mental on sacrifcial baskets, extremely
rare because of their sacred character.
These sacred baskets of the Indian
| women and children, and the wonder
fully beautiful baskets of the "Sun''
ceremonials are almost beyond descrip-
ton, SO difficult is it to present any
adequate idea of the combined color
effect Of the rich sheen Of the humming
bird feathers, the tufts of scarlet from
the top-knot of the Weodpecker, the
dainty plumes Of the quail, the sober
Wampum, the iridescent mother of
pearl or haliotes, the shining black
stems of the maiden hair fern, and
in the later baskets the bright beads,
all OF which, coupled with the exquis-
ite refinement of the workmanship, the
, artistic combination of color and the
marvellous f1neness of the weave rem
der the collection notable and incom-
parable from every point Of view.
r To the average observer these are
| only interesting as objects of beauty
and utility. a collection of Indian bas-
kets, nothing more, but to the trained
eye and intelligence Of the ethnolo-
gist they represent a very large part
Of the Indian history and philosophy
They are not only rarely beautiful in
| form, color and workmanship, thus ap-
pealing to the collector, the artist and
| era flssaan but are valuable by reason
4 Of the fact that interviewer with the
7 fibre Of reed and willow, grass and
fern, bead and feather are the aspira-
| ton and superstition and all the COM
plicated, highly emotional, religious
| life Of these primitive peoples They
are clothed about with a symbolism
rich and complex beyond the compre-
hension of civilized man. The history
of. the Sun" basket is not known at
present, as these Indians are unstudied
| and unWritten, except as DR.. Hudson
has observed during his years of con-
tact with them; but the history of the
women's and children's baskets, whose
function is sacramental or sacrificia1,
has been worked out. When a child,
male or female is born into the tribe
the mother after few months, or
when the little life a seems assured,
makes for him a tiny basket, his BIRTH
right, as it were, which shall stand
for him as a prayer incarnate, as a
| bond between him and the mysteries
! With loving, anxious devotion, the
mother Weaves the tiny basket of the
finest, most perfect grasses, tracing
upon it some delicate, symb bolical de-
sign, dainty feathers or bands inter-
woven with a patience that passes un-
der'standing in mesh. SO fine and
close as to be. almost invisible to the
naked t1ed eye, for this basket is as his life,