Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-09
INDIAN BAsKETRY

the art comprised In the basketry OF
the North American Indians. Their
baskets are believed to be the finest In
the world, and they are the product OF
the Indian women.
Indian basketry saw its prime before
the advent of the white man, since
when, through the introduction of for
elgn elements, it has been on a grad
ual decadence. Fine specimens are
still put out, however, and the owner
of an Indian basket of the better sort
is the possessor OF a treasure.
Basketry antedates pottery, whose
mother 1t is said to be. Baskets were
used by the Indian for every conceiV-
able household purpose. Materials for
them were culled from the natural
products of the land round about.
Hence we have baskets of birch bark
and spruce root ornamented with gayly
colored quilts, baskets of sweet grass
and baskets of hazel tongs, redbud,
stripped CEDAR sea grass, pine root,
fern stalk and willow. One Versed in
the subject can tell at a glance just
where a basket came from, the nature
of the soil, color of the rocks and
growth of the region.
Baskets carried the baby, held the
meal or flour, served as kneading
bowls, contained the water, having
of a tough thorn or twig, and were
used even for cooking the soup. These
were not put over the fire. The liquid
and other ingredients having been put
inside, they were warmed and cooked
by means of stones heated and thrown
within.
Later ingenuity devised better way
for keeping the water in the jar. The
basket was plastered with soft,
haliaUan
pottery was evolved.
The woven baskets are considered
finer than those which are sewed. The
higher grades of these are exquisite
in workmanship and design. Nine diff
ferent weaVeS are employed today.
Five more are to be seen on ancient
baskets, but the knowledge of their
making has become extinct. The In
dian woman took as much pride in her
basket as any Penelope of today. She
counted her stitches with most careful
precision and intertwined her weaving
with marvellous imagery of color and
design. The symbolism of the shape
and ornamentation of the baskets is q
fascinating study. Students have spent
years in working 1t. Signs of the 20
diac, man, beast and flower, all ap-
pear on the various articles. The col
oring also has it's significance and must
be understood before an Indian basket
can be fully appreciated. There are
also ceremonial baskets used by the
Indians in their religious rites. These
are especially fine and elaborate. Bas-
kets ornamented with feathers bring
hundreds of dollars on the market to-
day. They are seldom if ever made
now and therefore are rare. In addi
ton to the feathers these are often
garnished with an embroidery of beads,
some of them so beautiful as to be
almost like pearls. Shells also are en-
ployed in the decoration of baskets.
The modern Indian basket is a COM
mercial article. The one difficulty
with it is it is rare, the Indians not
yet having reached a point where they
can unaided put baskets on the mar
ket in quantity. This, however, but
renders them the more to be desired.
Some dealers hire Indians to work in
their shops on baskets of sweet grass.
The finest Indian baskets are too
expensive for any but collectors, but
the desire for baskets for all purposes
that is now possessing fcmininity has
aroused general interest in this work
of the Indian sister, and whenever
possible her products are purchased in
stead Of the modem raffia or willow,
or those made of corn husks, beautiful
though they may be.
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