386 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (ETH. ANN. 41 
for rectangular trunks, combined with the knowledge of these forms 
produced in hide by both the Plains and Plateau Indians and by the 
wooden and bark boxes of the coast Indians. 
This argument, however, does not account for the angular forms 
of the burden baskets. Mr. Teit and Miss Roberts have pointed 
out that they do not roll so easily when carried on pack horses but 
this argument does not appeal to me strongly, because high cylin- 
drical baskets would be much more serviceable for this purpose. 
Stiff, conical baskets do not lend themselves to horseback transpor- 
tation; soft bags would be much more serviceable. Furthermore, 
the burden baskets are generally provided with packstraps and are 
intended for transportation on the back of man. For this purpose 
one flat side rests on the back of the carrier, which is a decided ad- 
vantage. The coast Indians attain this end by building the twined 
baskets between four rather stout corner withes which determine 
the general form.” 
The conclusion that the angular forms have not been developed 
without a foreign stimulus is strengthened by the type of decoration 
applied to the round coiled baskets which are most readily decorated 
with horizontal or diagonal patterns. Diagonal patterns, on the 
other hand, do not fit baskets with angular cross section. If, never- 
theless, we find that some of the angular baskets are decorated in 
this manner, we may assume that the motif has been transferred 
from a basket without corners to one with corners. 
The difficulties involved in producing vertical lines have been fully 
set forth in our discussion and have been worked out in detail by 
Doctor Haeberlin. Judging from the similarity between the vertical 
bands and porcupine quill work, and also with the patterns found on 
woven packstraps and belts, it seems plausible that the knowledge 
of these two types of technique and their transfer to baskets may 
have resulted in the present forms. 
Their application to the flaring basket of angular cross section has 
led to serious difficulties. On account of the tendency of lines 
intended to be vertical to lean to the left, a large bare field originates 
in the right-hand upper corner which distorts the balance of the 
decoration. The basket maker endeavors to overcome this difficulty 
by applying “‘fillers.”” The variety of these and the lack of a uniform 
system of treatment show that no definite pattern for the handling 
of the situation has developed. 
The detailed information on the scope of forms made by a number 
of basket weavers shows that the range of individual invention is 
strictly limited by the traditional style. This is true both of the 
forms of the baskets and of their decorations. Observation of the 
oe a es eee 
7 See Jesup Expedition, Vol. V, fig. 79, p. 385. 
