ABOKIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 



387 



Chetimachas. Sonio of thoiii wore removed fifty years a^-o into the 

 Indian Territory, 'riiroug-h the lowlands of these States orow the 



from the split eanc, idl these tri])es 



DKTAIL (IF TWILLED ]!ASKETKY liOKDEU. 



ChiK'tiiw Indians, Lotiisiana. 

 Cat. No. 2111.x r.S.N.M. ( 'olN-oti-d l.y Fatlu-r Kn.nu't. 



interminable cane ])rak(^s, juk 



make their l)asketry. Tliey 



follow the twilled pattern of 



weaviiio-. Even now there 



may ])o purchased in Mobile, 



New Orleans, and other 



Southern cities little baskets 



of yellow, red, black, and 



o-reen cane woven in twill, 



crossing' with the woof two 



or more warp splints, and 



manag-inu- the checks so as to 



pr<xluc(^ diamonds and vari- 

 ous zigzag- patterns on the 



outside. TheChoctaws make 



a basket oval at the top and 



pointed ])elow for presents, 



averring- that this shape imitated the heart, which always accom})anies 



exovy gift. The handles of their basketry are \evy clumsily put on, 



marring- greatty the appearance of the otherwise attractive oliject. 



Often in weaving two thin 

 strips are laid together, the soft 

 sides inward. The evident mo- 

 tive in doubling- th(> tlun strips 

 is to have l)otli sides of the bas- 

 ket or mat glossy and smooth. 

 Further on it will be noted that 

 in twined weaving, where the 

 strands of the weft are from 

 split roots, both sides are ren- 

 dered smooth l)y revolving each 

 strand half a turn as it passes 

 through between the warp 

 stems. (See p. -i(><i.) 



Figs. 123 and li^-i show the 

 detail of twilled l)asketr3' among- 

 the Southern tribes, both in the 

 coarser and finer varieties. In 

 tig-. li!3, <f and /-», will be seen 

 the border. Each weft strand crosses four warp strands. In this 

 example the warp, however, does not cover each time the sani(> lumiber 

 of weft strands; the consequence is a nearly horizontal diagonal effect 

 in the pattern. To form the l)order a few of the warp filaments are 



Fig. V24. 



BORDER OF TWILLED BASKETRY. 



Choctaw Indianx, Loui.siana. 



Cat. No. 2114.-!, U.S.N.M. Collected by Father Kixiuet. 



