Evening star., 1921-06-05
~ ASKETRY sounds like a prosaic
X sort of an art. AS moderns are
. inclined to think of baskets.

inclined to think of baskets.
they are receptacles in which
| to carry or store something, only
ineedful from the -utilitarian stand
point. Yet it was only a few hundred
years ago that the native Americans.
the Indians, expressed their desire for
the artistic, the beautiful. in beautiful
baskets woven by the women and rep
resehting legendry, folk-tales and
American as any form of art descend
ed to US.
Although traces of baskets are found
in Bible times, ever since the mother
of Moses placed him in an ark of bull
rushes. daubed it with pitch, and laid
it in the flags by the rivers brink, as
Ian exact science basket-making reach
bus started out TO prove the earth is
round.
Wherever civilization has come into
contact with the lower races, it has
found women acquainted with textile
plants and skillful in weaving their
stems and leaves into basketry. Down
to this generation comes a collection
Of baskets representative of the art
of the Indians, now ensconced in the
University of Pennsylvania Museum,
in Philadelphia. under the direction of
DR.. William c. Farabee, curator of
the American section.
There are found baskets varying
diameter. 10 four feet, differing in
style and design. Each tribe had it's
own peculiar method of weaving.
Basketry was well-nigh universal
throughout the new world before it
was discovered, while at least one
half the area had no pottery. Going
back still further. the first mention of
the art in the Bible is in connection
with dreams, Joseph was a prisoner
in Egypt. Pharaoh's baker came to
him to interpret his dream. which in
cluded three baskets on my head,
manner of baked meats for Pharaoh.
and the birds did eat out of the basket.
And Joseph said: The three baskets
are three days concluding his in
depreciation with the interesting and
cheerful information that at the end
of that time the bakers head would be
removed and the birds would devour
him.
The ancient Israelite and Egyptian
baskets were of the ooiled type, re-
sembling the thick bread plaques of
the Hopi Indians. Such forms have
Oeeu Jug up III duCltfit SfttS. III fflluule
Egypt, and are the oldest yet found
in the world, being 5000 years ago.
In '"The Arabian Nights there is
story of woman murdered by her
husband, her body dissected and de-
posted by him in a large basket made
of palm leaves, shut up. and the COW
ering sewed with a red thread"
Thus it can be seen that although
basketry. was, not original with the
Indians, it was developed to a high
degree by them. particularly IN the
times used them for burial purposes.
made of the finest materials and
adorned with symbols of their re-
ligion.
There are hundreds of forms of
baskets in the university collection
fiat mats or wallets, plaques or food
plates, bowls for -mush and other
foods. pots for cooking. jars and
fanciful shapes for water and storage
baskets of huge size. The. Indians
made their baskets water tight by
ing asphalt or pitch.
| Beads, bits of shells carefully
broken up, feathers. colored clay and
| other objects are used to produce
| ornamentatfon In the baskets. The
| tiny baskets, hat quarter er-inch
across, arc the ~jewels Of tho In
dams. having been presented AZ gifts
| and tokens Of love and friendship,
just as a fine piece Of 5ewelry Is given
the designs shows that the figures on
| the baskets express the legendry, the
symbolic beliefs and superstitfons of
| the Indians. Just az one may paint
la picture or chisel out a bit of
| sculpture, SO the ancient American