ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 295 



not know which to admire most, their forms, tlie fineness of the 

 stitches, the simple ])ut eli'ective designs, or the charming- etfect of 

 color both in the patterns and in the mosaic work. Covers on !)askets 

 from this area are rare and may not be ancient. It is just sug-oested 

 that their motive came from the old preserve jars common in ships' 

 outfits a hundred years ago. 



In hg. loo the ornamentation has all the features of lacework; 

 indeed, it might be called the ])eginning of lace. The detailed draw- 

 ing above the figure shows, however, that the example is simply a 

 piece of coiled basketry from which the foundation rows have been 

 carefully withdrawn and only the sewing remains. In the long 

 stitches between the thread has been simply wrapped twice around 

 the standing part instead of once. It is within the weaver's power to 

 make this change at any moment from single wrap to double wrap, 

 the result being a figured surface, as in the lower drawing. This sort 

 of ornamentation has rare existence north of the present ])oundaries 

 of Mexico, but may be found all through tropical America. The 

 example here shown was procured fi'om the Pima Indians of the 

 Piman family in Arizona and Mexico, but beautiful examples were 

 also collected by W J McGee among the Papagoes, their kindred. 



DESIGNS IN DECORATION 



The fundamental checks, decussations, stitches, and meshes of which 

 the mosaic of basketry is made up are used, associated or not with 

 color, in forming designs or patterns on the surface. Compare the 

 severe!}^ plain Haida cylinder wallet with the exquisitely decorated hat 

 from the same tribe. Both are in the color of the spruce root, but the 

 latter resembles fine lacework on account of the delicate pattern cov- 

 ering its surface. All Indian tribes know how to give variety to unity 

 by simply making up various technical compositions that add no new 

 processes. These compositions are aggregations of simple forms 

 which are the alphabet of the Indian woman's most intriciite patterns. 

 It matters not how complicated the whole design may be, it is com- 

 posed of the following simple parts: 



(a) Lines In ornament. 



{b) Squares or rectangles. 



(c) Rhomhoidal figures. 



{(7) Triangles. 



(e) Polygonal elements. 



if) Com/plex patterns. 



It may be well to devote a little more space to the consideration of 

 these. Many seemingly incomprehensible patterns become clear when 

 resolved. At the same time the secret of their pleasure-giving qualit}^ 

 is revealed. Just as a subtle pleasure creeps into the mind in scrutin- 

 izing the uniform stitches on the surface of the Washoe basket (Plate 



