ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 281 



transportino-, and utilizing-, all had reference to the woman's ])hysical 

 frame. 



(e?) Aesthetic purpose. The desire to produce something beautiful 

 in itself without any regard to other motives. 



If there l)e any })eauty in work lielonging- to the first step it is purely 

 adve7it!tloHt<^ the weaver did not effect it purposely. In the next higher 

 grade there are no separate elements of beauty, but the utilitarian 

 features are dominated by taste purposely. A third class of aesthetic 

 forms, one step higher, enhance the beauty of the l)asket, but do not 

 diminish its serviceability. It seems a pity to waste so much pro- 

 longed work and lovely design and color on a mere ])errypickingl)asket 

 or a pot for cooking with hot stones, hut who will say nay? Finally, 

 usefulness is ignored or sacrihced to pure aestheticism. (See Plates 11, 

 23, 15, 70, and 71.) 



When the very lowly and practical functions of a great deal of this 

 ware are considered one has a striking example of the way in which 

 the sense of heauty may coexist with forlorn poverty and surround- 

 ings, as may also he seen ])y comparing the most skillful hasket 

 maker with her workshop. This thought uuist not be carried too 

 far, however, in understanding- the culture status of the woman, since 

 all artists are busy practically with uncleanly materials and do not 

 wear their best attire in the studio. On this same practical side, also, 

 the love of beauty for its own sake may not be the entire motive in 

 the artist's mind; her natural ambition and pride of achievement in 

 technical skill, and perhaps envy, have much to do with preeminent 

 success — quite as much with her as with artists at the other end of 

 civilization. The same discrimination is made by art critics in the 

 highest walks of culture. The singer or musician who renders a 

 technically difficult piece may l)e stimulated quite as nuich by pride 

 of performance as by the overpowering influence of aesthetic feeling. 

 It is difficult to sound the depths of the Indian woman's motives, but 

 in the matter of shape, as will be seen, her masterpieces are fine models 

 of symmetry and grace. Quite every plate in this paper will illustrate 

 in some way or another what will be said r(\specting the ornamenta- 

 tion of Indian basketry in the six geographic areas. In each one of 

 the phases under which shape as a decorative element is studied there 

 will be found a response in the different parts of the hemisphere. 



The study of form and structure in the ornamentation of basketry 

 will be now considered under the heads named: First, the shape of the 

 basket as a whole; second, the minute structural elements out of which 

 all designs on basketry are formed, and third, the designs on the sur- 

 face of the basket and their combination into symbols or composite 

 ornamentations. (See Plate 37.) 



