254 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA [eTH. ANN. 41 
with black outlines (pls. 21, c; 22,d; 31, a; 38, a; 40,d; 49, e; 54, d). 
A diamond, to be recognized as such, must cover at least five coils, 
since the size of the stitch and the width of the coil count very 
materially in reducing the effect of a short diagonal produced by the 
necessary ‘‘steps.” The three-coil diamond would be exactly like 
the star design discussed in connection with squares. <A five-coil 
diamond would not be obviously more clean-cut (pl. 42,4). Average 
sizes are seven to nine coils in height, although there are many which 
are larger than these. Diamonds are frequently imbricated in solid 
colors with one of the above-mentioned ‘‘star’’ designs of a con- 
trasting color placed in the center and with or without an outline of 
the same shade around the whole figure (pls. 28, b; 46, d). As asingle 
figure the division of the diamond is usually concentric (pl. 38, d). 
In series there is sometimes a vertical or horizontal subdivision 
through the axes, but both do not often appear together, nor have 
diagonal subdivisions or banded effects been noted (pl. 14, d). The 
long axis almost invariably lies in a vertical direction, although there 
is one exception, to be seen in sketch 562, Plate 89. 
HEXAGON, OCTAGON, CROSSES AND STARS 
The hexagon and octagon occur in outline, concentric and single 
(pls. 5, a; 38, a, 6; 49, a), but not in solid or checker formation, and both 
are usually found in connection with diamonds, although they are 
sometimes seen alone. They are rarely regular but are more often 
elongated vertically or horizontally, corresponding to the arrange- 
ment on the basket. This feature, together with their frequent 
appearance with the diamond, makes it seem possible that they have 
been derived from it through truncation, particularly as they are 
found encircling diamonds more often than not. Stars and crosses 
are also used as single design elements. (Pls. 25, a; 51, g; 52, a, 6.) 
TLEE/KA DESIGNS 
The Indians divide all designs into two classes as real designs (that 
is, evidently geometric, highly conventionalized figures) or represen- 
tations of objects (tleé’ka) and therefore not to their minds real 
designs. 
The tlné’ka are as nearly realistic representations as basketry 
technique permits and include animal and human figures, plants, 
insects, birds, and objects, such as bows and arrows, moss cakes, 
tipis, etc. Because these figures are, as it were, unmodified, being 
pictures which are seldom made twice alike, they are recognized as 
being different from the others. Each woman exercises her own 
fancy in regard to them and is not obliged to follow any definite rule 
in their composition but merely strives to represent as well as possi- 
ble the object of her choosing. 
As a rule tlné’ka patterns do not appear with geometric designs, 
except when they act as fillers in what would otherwise be large blank 
