ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY^ 455 



COILED WOKK (sTIIHU) 



8. Shailo, foundation of .splints (Sliailo, rurdy). 



9. Tsai, foundation of one rod. 



10. Bauniko, two-stem foundation laid vertically. 



11. Bamshibu, foundation of 3 rods. 



12. Bamteek, four-stem foundation. 



i;>. Tsawam, the half-hiteh work on cradles. 



Purdy adds rinj>-ed and sewed; each circle of foundation coni[)lete. 

 These names are from Yokaia, Upper Yoksiia, Calpella, and Potter 

 Valley. The word for basket in Potter is Pika; :it Upper Lake, Sitol; 

 at Lower Lake, Kolob; at Cache Creek, Kawah. 



1. Pshu-kan' (fish weir) in its simplest form is the binding of a row 

 of uprig-ht warp rods b}' means of pairs of hazel or willow shoots pass- 

 ing them horizontally with a half tw^ist in each space. Undressed 

 material is the rule, but in more delicate household vessels the willow 

 is decorticated, even polished. Hazel (Shu ba, the fisherman) was the 

 original material. It is nothing more than a very coarse oi)en twined 

 work, passing now and then into three-strand twine. (See fig. 20.) 



2. Pshutsin, a very substantial means of framing a large, heavy 

 structure, such as granaries, sheathing for thatch, game fences, etc. 

 It is in efiect wrapped twined weaving, seen also in Mohave ctirrying 

 frames. From the periphery a strand of grapevine loosely encircles 

 two ribs, passing to the left over four ribs, then backward, catching- 

 two or more and repeating gradually, ])ack two, forward four, inward 

 to the center or apex. A second vine catches a rib at the bottom of 

 the roof passiug to the left over four ribs, encircling two, thence zig- 

 zags parallel with No. 1 to the top. This is repeated till s])aces are 

 covered. Pshutsin efi'ects in house building a coarse mesh at the 

 foundation, but gradually closed in at the apex, where most ueeded. 

 In granaries the conditions are reversed, but the effect is the same. 

 Fences require an additional top vine. (See fig. 13.) 



3. Bamtush (Bamtu, grapevine) plain twined weaving. Pattern 

 and {esthetic art w^ere here born, the brown bark of the vine contrast- 

 ing with pale yellow of the inner vine splittings. The grape has long 

 since been discarded for stronger and more polished material. Bam- 

 tush is the strongest weave and is used in carrying baskets, acorn bas- 

 kets, and very large, heavy nmsh l)askets. There is a warp of willow 

 or other stems radiating from the bottonh On this the warp is laid 

 in pairs, the two splints being twisted a half time in passing a warp 

 steuL The effect is that of ribbed cloth or corduroy. The ornamen- 

 tation is usuall}" in bands. (See fig. 15.) 



4. Shuset is twining over two warps and alternating from round to 

 round and affords the amplest opportunity for artistic display. It is 

 called diagonal or twilled-twined work, as its surface is the smoothest 



