186 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1902. 



but there are not .shown in an}' of Keller's plates the types of twined 

 work in which the warp plays an}' part for ornamentation; and in the 

 remains, so far as examined, no attempts are made at eml)roidery, or 

 overlaying-, or any of the species of tine decoration, to be seen in the 

 Alaskan or Calif ornian weaving." 



In the Arabian Nights, the story of tlie lady who was murdered by 

 her husband mentions a very large basket, by its size reminding one 

 of the granary ])ask(^ts of California, ))ut this was evidently in coiled 

 work, very nuich in the style of the Hopi plaques. The Caliph, 

 Haroun Alraschid — 



came to the bank of the river, and Wui fisherman, liavini; tlirown in his net, when 

 he drew it ont again bronght up a trunk, close shut and very heavy. The CaHph 

 made the vizier pay him 100 sequins immediately and sent him away. Mesrour, 

 by his master's orders, carried the trunk on his shoulders, and the Caliph, 

 eager to know what it contained, returned to the palace with all speed. Wlien the 

 trunk was opcMied, they found in it a large basket made of palm leaves, shutuji, and 

 the covering sewed with red thread. To satisfy the Calipli's imimtience, they cut 

 the thread with a knife and took out of the basket a package wrapped in a sorry 

 piece of hanging and bound about with rope, in wluch, when untied, tliey found, to 

 their amazement, the dead body of a young laily cut in small pieces. 



The Ute Indians in ancient times used basketry for mortuary pur- 

 poses, but by th(nn made of the rarest material and with faultless 

 workmanship, adorned with symbols of their religion. The dead man 

 or woman was covered with a large carrying basket, and all around 

 were laid witii loving care the finest specimens of the craft. 



It is interesting to know that the lirst mention of })askets in the 

 Bible is in connection with dreams, floseph was a prisoner in Egypt. 

 He had interpreted the l)utler's dream so favorably that Pharaoh's 

 baker came also to him. 



When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, 



1 also was in my dream, and, behold, I liad three white baskets on my head; and 

 in the njjpi'rmost basket [»»/] there w'asof all manner of baked meats [sweetmeats] 

 for Pharaoh ; and the 1 )irds did eat them out of the liasket upon my head. And Joseph 

 answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three 

 days; yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall 

 hang tJK'e on a tree; and the liirds shall eat thy Hesh from off thee. 



It may in general be assumed that thc^ baskets used ])y the Israelites 

 were not unlike those of the Egyptians. If the ancient l)askets of 

 Egypt resembled the modern, those mentioned were of the coiled type, 

 made from palm leaf, resembling thick bread pla([ues of the Hopi 

 pueblos of Arizona. They were doubtless in use throughout North 

 Africa long l)efore the days of Joseph. 



Specimens of this type of ancient coiled ])asketry were dug up In^ 

 Randal I-Maclver and Wilkin at El Armah, miles south of the site of 



'^' Ferdinand Keller, The F^ake Dwellings of Switzerland and other jiarts of Europe, 



2 vols., London, 1S7S. 



