ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 539 



more perishiUilc- of the two treasures from destruction. Pottery may 

 be Ijroken, Imt its fraonients endure and bear witness. Not so bas- 

 kctr}^, made of the most perishal)ie portions of plants, it can endure 

 only when in contact with preservative materials, or partly reduced 

 to ashes, or deposited in caves and other dry places, or finally, their 

 technic but not their stor}' may be saved l)y impressions left on 

 potter}'. 



The following instructions are pulilished for the great number of 

 persons who are interested in the collection and preservation of 

 American basketry. Besides the a\sthetic elements involved and the 

 pride of saving- the ])est examples of a rapidly vanishing industry, 

 there is a vast deal of culture study which ought not to b(^ neglected. 



In every collection, public or private, there are opportunities for 

 special investigation that should not l)e in the possession of a single 

 individual only. If all who are gathering ])askets would preserve such 

 information as they may be al)le to obtain, the bringing together of 

 the results of all this study would be a monument for our American 

 aboriginal women. 



As pointed out in former chapters, knowledge concerning basketry 

 seems to be illimital)le, the technician, the artist, and the stud(Mit of 

 folklore finding etpial pleasure in the acciuisition. To begin with the 

 manufacture, a correct knowledge of thc^ materials includes the name 

 of the tribe and their location, the name of the different kinds of 

 weaving in the native tongue, and chiefiv, the nativ(> name, the com- 

 mon name, and the scientific name of every plant or animal substance 

 or mineral involved. The reason for this is that in order to know 

 whether an art is indigenous or acquired, it is necessary to compare 

 the names for definite things with those used by other tribes for the 

 same things. Not to discourage the collector, however, it must ])e said 

 that this is an ideal toward which he ought to work. 



The following label of a specimen in the Hudson basketry collection, 

 U. S. National Museum, will starve as a model to guide the collector in 

 saving information alwut his specimens: 



BASKET JAR of the Porno Indians (Kulanapan family). Made from Uie prepared root of 

 Kahum, or California sedge {Cair.v Ixirbarac), throat and scalp feathers of KatAtch, or wood- 

 pecker {Mekmerpes forminvorus), breast feathers of Jucil, or meadow lark (Slnrndla ticgh'cta), 

 scalp feathers of KayAii, or mallard {Anas horchas), plumes of TchikAka, or crested quail 

 (Lophorlt/x. cqlifornirii.'i), neck feathers of TsawAlii, or jay {Ci/anura stdlcri), and Kiiya, or pre- 

 pared clam shell {Saxidomus f/racilis) , in a style of coiled sewing called Tsai, in which a single 

 roil constitutes the basis. The sewing i)asses over this rod, under the preceding one, and locks 

 in the stitch immediately underneath. Ornamentation, a row of shell disks around the margin 

 and another row serving as a handle. 



Diameter, fj inches. 



RUSSIAN RIVKR, CALIFORNIA, IS'.m. No. 203,416. 



FROM THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY, COLLECTED BY 

 DR. J. W. HUDSON. 



