ABOEIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 



289 



TWILLED WORK IN TWO 



I.'ULOKS. 



After W. H. Holmes. 



from a drawing after Frank H. Cushino-. The surface of the liasket 

 is mosaic in two colors, made up of little square blocks, and bj- their 

 alternation not only sloping and vertical patterns are produced, but 

 the most intricate labyrinth of fretwork. Thert^ is no limit to the pos- 

 sibilities any more than there is to the Italian 

 workman making a tessellated pavement with 

 marble blocks in white and black. 



As soon as the weaver steps outside of her 

 monotonous checkerwork into the province of 

 wicker, or especially twilled weaving, the 

 possibilities of ornamentation are intinitely 

 nudti})licd. In plain weave, wicker elements 

 are sigmoid or spindle-shaped; on twilled wc^aA- 

 ing, they are oldong rectangles. Passing into 

 the most intricate damask etfects in modern 

 linen weaving, in which materials of one color 

 onl}" have to be used, it will be seen how 

 greatly varied this sort of ornamentation may 

 be made. The elements of wickerwork mosaic 

 are horizontal, but twilled Aveaving, in single elements may be both ver- 

 tical and horizontal in the same piece. The three accompanying figures 

 are from Holmes and show better than words the possi))ilities of the 

 little s(iuares and rectangles for decoration. In tig. D-t in two colors 

 the white work is under two and over one; the weft over one, two, or 



three and under one; the result being a series 

 of sloping designs of great beauty. Fig. 05 

 in precisely the same materials shows how 

 ])y \'arying the count the pattern is changed. 

 Fig. IM) is interesting because it exhi])its a 

 widespread type of mat weaving farthest 

 away from loom work. The woman begins 

 at the corner to weave. All the little blocks 

 are rectangles; all stop at the same angle, 

 and the result is a perfect Greek fret in two 

 coloi's. (See Plate 47.) 



In twined weaving the effect of the single 

 rows is funicular one way and corrugated 

 the other. If the reader will notice any 

 number of twined baskets in plain twined 

 weave, it will at once become apparent that 

 it has its limitations. The Pomo make only bands in it to represent 

 the skin of a snake or some such motive. The Haida and Tlinkit 

 vary the ribbed effect with decorative overlaying or three-strand weft. 

 With the diagonal twined work the case is entirely different. The 

 boldest of spiral designs covering an immense surface are wrought 

 NAT MUS 1902 19 



Fig. 95. 

 diapek twilled work in two 



COLORS. 

 After W. H Holmes. 



