18 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. XXXV. 



Decussation. — Crossing of warps at an acute angle. (See Check.) 

 Design. — Figure or pattern in the ornamentation of basketry. 

 Not to be confounded with symbol. 



Dextral. — Applied to the elements of basketwork that lean toward 

 the right. (See Horizontal, Sinistral, and Vertical.) Common in 

 Malaysian basketry. 



Diagonalwork. — Passing the active elements over two or more 

 warps, but not the same in adjoining rows. (See Twilledwork.) 



Diaper. — A surface decoration produced by the technic showing a 

 pattern by the crossing of the elements. The refinement of twilled- 

 work. 



Drill. — For the delicate sewing which is seen most abundantly on 

 the borders of carrying baskets, the very fine holes are made through 



bamboo, rattan, and other 

 hard materials with long 

 pointed drills made from 

 old files. The point of the 

 drill is drawn out almost 

 needle-like, while the an- 

 gular form of body is pre- 

 served. Plate IV shows a 

 few varieties and also 

 blunt prickers in monkey 

 bone and in iron. (See 

 Pricker.) 



On the to j) row of 

 Plate IV are basket- 

 makers' drills, or awls 

 (Cat. Nos. 249051-249054, 

 U.S.N.M.), "simbal," of 

 the Dyaks of Bayu and 

 In sewing the borders, footings. 



Fm. 16. — Curled work ix pandanus leak. 



Gray, Sempang River, "West Borneo 

 and other parts of baskets with finely split rattan, holes must be drilled 

 through hoops and other woodwork. The '"simbal" is just the tool, 

 not a needle nor an awl precisely, but a very fine drill, the blade made 

 of an old file usually, and quadrilateral to the very tip. 



On the lower part of Plate IV are the so-called prickers (Cat. Nos. 

 249049, 249050, U.S.N.M.), " pemudat," of the Dyaks of Bayu, 

 Sempang River, West Borneo. The first specimen is made of iron; 

 the latter of orang bone. This implement is used to pass between 

 the elements of a finished texture, in order to open the way for weav- 

 ing backward or overlaying as in the "mad weave." 



Plate V shows an elegant old piece of twilled basketwork (Cat. No. 

 249413, U.S.N.M.) from Dyaks of Gray, West Borneo, introduced 

 here to illustrate the use of the fine drills, but possessing many note- 

 worthy characters. Among them especial attention is called to the 



