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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



for patterns which may be borrowed 

 entire, and could be used for rugs, or 

 even for dress trimmings. 



For the worker in metals, the decora- 



This elaborate all-f)ver design i>« a lall (■aiidlest.ick 

 was orifjinated hy the Tliiif,'il Indians lor a painted 

 j)addle. In the adaptation ol' Indian desifin to mod- 

 ern art, suitability to the new material and medium 

 and to the size, shape and use of lh(- article must be 

 considered 



tive rosettes will be especially helpful. 

 The craftsman must consider the limita- 

 tions of his medium, but many of the 

 rosettes offer beautiful shapes for jewelry. 

 The well-spaced lines of the motive 

 insure an interesting design without 

 further ornament, which is not always 

 true of commercial jewelry. The at- 

 tempt to cover poor design by adding 

 jewels, which in themselves are always 

 beautiful, is a pitiful display of ineffi- 

 ciency. The Indian pottery is often 

 crude in execution, but the shapes are 

 wonderfully well conceived. The sim- 

 plicity of form is well worth studying, 

 and for the worker who models his own 

 shapes there are many suggestions. 

 There are comparatively few examples 

 with handles, but the pieces, especially 

 the bowls, are well proportioned and 

 show a subtle feeling for curvature. 



For the keramic worker there are 

 absolutely limitless possibilities. For 

 the potter there are suggestions both for 

 shapes and decoration. The use of 

 natural clay with the decoration in soft 

 dull colors might open up a new field. 

 The pottery workers have developed 

 wonderful glazes and colors, but a careful 

 study of the Pueblo pottery will reveal 

 a beauty in the simpler method. The 

 decorations are often remarkably well 

 planned and the fret ornament of the 

 Utah tribes is as beautiful as the Greek, 

 although not as good in technique. The 

 Zuni designs are more in accord with 

 modern lines of thought, and show a 

 freedom of handling that is refreshing 

 compared with some of the over- 

 decorated commercial pottery. The In- 

 dian motives lend themselves especially 

 well to tiles for walls, floors, or mantels. 

 Some of the woven patterns could be 

 reproduced for floor tiles with artistic 

 effect. . 



In selecting designs for any craft, a 

 few general principles must be followed, 



