300 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (ern. ANN. 41 
one of the rare examples found. It is unique in that it shows imbri- 
cation on parallel coils. Plate 51 gives some odd new shapes and two 
classic Lillooet forms, beautifully made, from which a Thompson 
form was evidently taken (pl. 51, m). 
Lastly, the trays in Plates 52, 53, and 54, presenting some of the 
problems encountered in oval elongated coiled lids, disclose the fact 
that a few women are not able to space properly even on shapes 
the whole surface of which may be seen at one glance, while others 
produce almost perfect specimens. 
The examples here discussed show that various ways of meeting 
the difficulties encountered in the adaptation of designs have been 
devised and that different degrees of aptitude are found not only 
among different women but often combined in the same person. 
An otherwise extremely accurate technician proves at fault in spacing 
her designs properly around the circumference of the coil (pl. 15, ¢; 
fig. 87). A woman with excellent artistic ideas who spaces very well 
indeed is often confused in the lesser design rhythms into which she 
subdivides her larger conceptions (fig. 81). Another one above the 
average in all these respects may be poor at regulating the size of her 
coils and aligning them with each other, so that her basket structure 
is bumpy even while her stitching and decoration are exceptional, 
Sometimes we find that those who have committed blunders have 
cleverly sought to cover them up or to turn them to their advantage 
in a way which was entirely unpremeditated. And now and then we 
find that satisfying person, the all-around genius, whose beautiful 
specimens of handiwork are perfect, both from a technical and 
artistic point of view. The most striking peculiarity of design ar- 
rangement consists in the lack of feeling for unity of motifs exhibited 
in the use of incongruous fillers. 
THE SELECTION OF THE DESIGN 
The individual woman plays no small part in the establishment of 
the basketry style of her tribe, especially if a certain degree of liberty 
is allowed her to follow her own inclinations, and this seems to be 
the case in the Thompson region. The women are not restricted 
in their selection of designs but make any number; most of them from 
time to time undertake patterns with which they have previously 
been unacquainted; others invent variations of old elements which 
they have used before, and some do both. During a woman’s life- 
time certain designs and variations may perhaps be considered to 
belong to her in a sense that they are her particular inventions, but 
knowledge concerning origins is soon lost by the majority, especially 
after the designs have been copied or changed by others. Only in 
the minds of a few people like old Kalia, who once lived at Spuzzum, 
