The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-16

n SdTeIul STUDY VI all women
work in basketry as well as weaving
and embroidery, reveals the fact that
both in the woven and the .sewed, or
coil, ware each stitch takes up the
very same area of surface. When
women invented basketry, therefore,
they made art possible. Along with
this fact, that each stitch on the same
basket made of uniform material oc-
cupies the same number of square mil
limetres, goes one other fact-the
most savage women can count"
The Indian artist works without pat
tern, model-other than nature-and
without rule or compass. The con-
ception of the brain is brought direct
ly to the place it is to occupy. It
thus occurs that complications some
times arise which to the artist of
civilization would be fatal to the har-
mony of his production, but which do
not worry the pupils of the primitive
school, and which are productive of
some extremely artistic results. Quot
ing again from Mason:
~ WOuAo NOAAoAeou q AlOOOlA POLIOA
to retirement if his panels and pic
lures were not geometrically accurate.
But the savage artist seems to relish
asymmetry. She is not the least en-
barrassed if, with four repetitions of
the same group in mind. she finds,
by and by, that three of them have
nearly exhausted her space. The
quaint manner in which she compels
the fourth to squeeze itself into the
allotted area has been the delight, of
more than one civilized artist"
Rock carving and rock painting is
more a thing of the past than of the
present. All through California, Ari-
IONA, New Mexico and some parts
of Texas are found rock pictures.
Some of these are engraved in the
rocks and others are painted thereon.
In some of the caverns, where the
figures are protected from the ele-
ments, the colors are as bright today
as when laid on, centuries ago
Some Of the rock pictures of both
the past and the present are more in
NAS 1AhO Va 4lIOAQLu IudA VI 6IJs
They are historical records, sign
boards, maps of localities to show
trails and the location of springs. 9th
ers, however, are more in the line of
historical and religious paintings and
were evidently the creation of artist
ic minds wrought principally to salts
fly the creative desires of the artist
who produced them.
War scenes were favorite subjects
OF the aboriginal artist. Hunting
scenes follow next. in order, and re-
ligious subjects rank next With some
tribes, however, the latter subject
ranks first.
"The Navajos are particularly fond
OF picturing their religious ceremonies
and they have a peculiar style of art
by means of which this is done. This
is what is termed dry painting The
pictures are made in sand-not by
marking the outlines upon the sand,
but by sprinkling different colored
sands on the ground, forming pictures
resembling paintings. Frederick Del
lenbaugh thus describing this method
OF picture making:
All the designs are made with the
utmost care and precision, being
drawn according to an exact system,
except in minor points, where the
artist is left to his imagination. So
far as is known, the system is not
recorded in any way, but depends en-
tirely upon the memory of those in
charge. Changes must therefore oc-
cur in the course of time. The sand
Is trailed out of the hand between
the thumb and forefinger, and when
mistake is made, it is corrected by
renewing, at that point, the surface
of the sand which forms the general
ground of the work No less than IL
ceremonies are illustrated in drawings
of this kind"
Art as applied to the metals has
reached its highest development with
the Navajos of Arizona.
Respect for Old Age in Japan.