ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 333 



in the Ute or Sho.shonean family, but witii tiic exquisite bafslvet-malving- 

 tribes westward in California. They have the three-rod foundation. 

 The upper one is ITi inches in diameter and 5 inches deep. 



The basket having- the butteriiy design was found over the body of 

 an infant, and this led the finder to the conviction that the forms had 

 •some mythic significance. These specimens, and many more, belong- 

 ing to the Wetherill, the McLeod, and Graham collections are now in 

 the American Museum of Natural History, New York. (See Plat(> 84.) 



The Pueblos called Hopi in northeastern Arizona were visited ]\y 

 the Spaniards in the early part of the Kjth century. Having no gold 

 to tempt the avarice of the conquerors, they were let alone. On their 

 coiled and wicker ])askets, used in their religious ceremonies, are shown 

 the personages and phenomena most intimately associated with their 

 cult. I am indebted to Dr. J. Walter Fewkes for the interpretation 

 of their symbolism. 



The basket shown in I'late 85 is peculiar to the Hopi ^'illage of 

 Oraibi; has a picture of the Corn Maiden (Shalakomana or Palahiko- 

 mana). The head bears the representation of a tal>let which is sym- 

 bolic of the rain clouds. The colors represent the rain clouds of the 

 four cardinal points: Yellow, the north; l)lue, the west; red, the south; 

 white, the east. Usually in representations of this maiden the Hopi 

 hair pufl's are represented. A design on the forehead stands for an ear 

 of corn, which is one of the syml)olic marks of this maiden. There 

 ought to be represented in the middle of the forehead, dependent from 

 this ear of corn, a fragment of Haliotis shell. This is for the rain- 

 bow. The two ej'es appear as bands, and should ))c of difl'erent 

 colors, the left green or blue, the right red. The two l)ands below 

 the eyes are meant for facial markings which are generally triangular 

 in shape. Green and red stripes on the chin represent the rainbow. 

 On paintings the bow is curved the other way, but the restrictions of 

 basket making require the curve to be downward. The blanket on 

 the body is a garment made of feathers, the individual feathers being 

 represented by blue and red ])ands. This is the earth goddess or 

 corn goddess. Interesting descriptions of the ceremony in which 

 this Corn Maiden or sky goddess is engaged will be found in Dr. 

 Fewkes's interesting paper" on the Minor Hopi Festivals. On Plate 

 24, opposite page 494 of his article, is illustrated the Palahiko-mana 

 dance. She is shown as the central figure. The headdress, l)ody 

 garment, and embroidered blanket are represented in full. The head- 

 dress is decked with feather plumes, and altogether the appearance 

 is more striking. The basket weaver has done her best where her 

 pictorial ability gave out, at least, to indicate the presence of even the 

 clan markings on the face, which in the drawings picture the human 

 hand. 



a American Anthropologist, N. S., IV, 1902, pp. 482-511. 



