366 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA [eTH. ANN. 41 
each extremity of the warp elements with a strand running through each perfora- 
tion; . . . a strand which may be included among the weft elements is 
attached to the outside warp strand and then made to pass alternately over and 
under the warp to the opposite side, where it turns and crosses over again, passing 
under those strands which it crossed over during the previous movement. 
The piece examined by Doctor Boas and the writer differed from 
this in that there was no interweaving of warp and weft. The weft 
simply lay on top of the warps all the way across, then turned and 
lay under them, then above, etc. The particular bit of embroidery 
examined was made by the Tlingit Indians of the Alaskan coast: 
With this exception, Mr. Orchard’s description fits the case exactly. 
He goes on to say: 
This operation is repeated to completion. Meanwhile, porcupine quills have 
been woven in between the warp strands over and under the crossing elements. 
As the work proceeds the quills are crowded together, so much so that the crossing 
strands are hidden between the corrugations; in fact, the only strands showing 
m 
LO 
iy 
arcercvten LOT 
- Mona ry 
498 im 
=a O76" 
Fic. 111.—Embroidery designs from Thompson baskets 
in a finished piece of work are the two on the outer edges and the loops of the 
crossing strands which together form a selvage edge. As the length of a quill 
becomes exhausted the end is allowed to protrude at the back of the work; another 
quill is inserted with its end in the same position, then the crossing cord is driven 
tight against the two ends and the weaving is continued. The quills are used in a 
moistened, pliable condition; when they become dry they are stiff and hard and 
do not break away from such a fastening. After the work is finished the pro- 
truding ends are cut off close to the weave. 
Figure 113 has been taken from Mr. Orchard’s book. It does not 
fit his description of the relative positions of warp and weft, but 
the one the writer has just given. The Tlingit specimen, when 
folded, reveals along the fold the intersections of the wrapping weft 
with the warp between the strips of quill, although the work is 
very close. An examination of successive intersections along one 
line of weft proves that the weft and warps do not interweave. 
Although the figure shows only two strips of quill, there are usually 
about 20 on a strip which is only a little more than an inch wide. 
