II.-BASKET-WORK OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 



By Otis T. Mason. 



" Barbara do pictis veni baacauda Britannis, 

 Sed me jam mavult dicere Roma smiiii." 



— Martial, xiv, 99. 



The study ot'tlie minutest technique in the distribution of aboriginal 

 arts is very necessary in making; nj) our o])iiiions on questions of An- 

 tliropology. The archaeologist is frequently caused to halt in the re- 

 construction of ancient society by his ignorance of the arts of the sav- 

 ages around him. This is especially true of an art which had its cul- 

 mination in savagery or barbarism, and which began to decline at the 

 touch of civilization, or at least to give ])lace to higher types of the same 

 art. For the discussions of problems that have arisen in the past the 

 data then in hand have been sufficient ; but as the investigations of 

 social progress become more intricate the demands for greater detail in 

 the observation of anthropological phenomena around us is imperative. 



I have lately had occasion to examine all the baskets in the National 

 Museum, and the results of this research may not be uninteresting as 

 a contribution to exact technology in an art which may be called ^xtr 

 excellence a savage art. 



In a basket there are several characteristics to be observed, which 

 will enable us to make a classification of the objects themselves and to 

 refer them to their several tribal manufacturers. These characteristics 

 are the material, the frame-worlc, the methods of weaving, the coiling or 

 sewing, the decoration, their use, &c. 



The tool almost universally used in their manufacture is a bone awl 

 or pricker and the makers are the women. Of the manipulation of the 

 material previously to the weaving little is known. 



In the drawings accompanying this i)aper the actual size of the speci- 

 mens is indicated i)y a series of inch marks in the margin. The inches 

 on the standard lino are shown by spaces between dots. In order to 

 indicate exactly the manner of weaving, a square, usually an inch in 

 dimension, is taken from a portion of the surface wherein all the meth- 

 ods of manipulation occur. This square inch is enlarged sufficiently to 

 make the structure comprehensible. This plan enables iis to show form 

 and ornamentation in the whole figure as well as the method of treat- 

 ment in the enlarged inch. 



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