AEORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY, 



223 



A. Checl'eru'orl: — This occurs especially in the liottoms of many 

 North Pacific coast examples, and also in the work of eastern Canaclian 

 tribes (fig. 2); in matting its use is well nigh universal. 



In this ware the warp and the weft have the same thickness and 

 pliability. It is impossible, therefore, in looking at the ))ottoms of 

 the cedar-bark 1)askets and the matting of British Columbia (fig. ?>) or 

 Eastern Canada to tell which is warp 

 and which is weft. In very many exam- 

 ples the warp and weft of a checker 

 bottom are turned up at right angles t(^ 

 form the warp of the sides, which may 

 be wicker or twined work. A great 

 deal of bark matting is made in this 

 same checkerwork, but the patterns run 

 obliquely to the axis of the fabric, giv- 

 ing the appearance of diagonal weaving. 

 The fine hats of Ecuador are especially 

 noticeable in this deceptive appearance, 

 which is caused by the weaver\s begin- 

 ning the work at the center. Perhaps, 

 though there is no positive information on this sul)ject, the North 

 Pacific coast women proceed in the same manner to give a tiled efl'ect 

 to the surface of their matting. When warp and weft are fine yarn 



or threads the result is the 

 simplest form of cloth in 

 cotton, linen, pifia fil)er, 

 or wool. The cheap fa))- 

 rics of conunerce are of 

 this species of weaving. 

 In art and industry lattice- 

 work frequently shows 

 the bars intertwined as in 

 checker basketry (fig. 4). 

 From this results a most 

 stable figure, the elasticit}'' 

 of the material and the 

 friction of the surfaces 

 holding the fabric to- 

 gether. (See figs, tt, 5, 6.) 

 The pleasing eflects 

 that niay be produced in 

 checker are shown in Plate 14. At tlu^ ])ottom is coarse work. At 

 the end of seven rows the warp strips of })ark are held firmly in place 

 by a row of twined weaving and then split into four, each sixth one 



Fig. 3. 



FIXE nnCrKERWORK. 



