April 1, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



539 



Primitive basketry is of interest chiefly 

 from two aspects, namely, method of manu- 

 facture and decoration. Both phases are con- 

 sidered in the present work and are naturally 

 given the lion's share of attention, but noth- 

 ing which has to do with the subject in hand 

 seems to lie outside the scope of the book. 

 From the mental attitude of the woman who 

 weaves to the use to which her product is 

 put, all is fish to the genial author's net. 



Professor Mason's general point of view is 

 geographical and wisely so. There is no other 

 method which would permit a survey of the 

 disparate phases of his subject without hope- 

 less confusion. His classification, avowedly 

 arbitrary and determined by the available 

 material, is : 



1. Eastern region : Canada, Eastern States, 

 Southern States, Western States. 



2. Alaskan region : Interior Alaska, Arctic 

 Alaska, Aleutian Chain, Southeastern Alaska, 

 Queen Charlotte Islands. 



3. Eraser-Columbia region : Eraser drain- 

 age, Columbia drainage. 



4. Oregon-California region : Southern Ore- 

 gon, California. 



5. Interior Basin region : Southern Oregon, 

 California. 



6. Middle and South American region : 

 Mexico, Central America, eastern and western 

 South America. 



Varieties of basketry, materials used (in- 

 cluding a botanical list by Mr. E. V. Coville), 

 methods of manufacture, methods of ornamen- 

 tation, symbolism, uses of basketry, distribu- 

 tion of types, collectors and collections, and 

 bibliography are all treated in successive chap- 

 ters and supplemented by a superb series of 

 248 plates, many of which are reproduced in 

 color. The result is a monograph incom- 

 parably the best in the field and one destined 

 to stand as a high authority for years to come. 



It would be too much to expect a work of 

 such compass to be equally good at all points 

 and it mvist be admitted that some of the 

 chapters are much more satisfactory than 

 others. The author disarms criticism to a 

 great extent, however, by his very frank 

 recognition of certain shortcomings. 



As indicated above, the two points of chief 



interest are technique and ornament. In his 

 chapters on methods of manufacture and dis- 

 tribution of\types the author is at his best. 

 They are both notable contributions to our 

 knowledge. His descriptions of technique 

 are so clear and accompanied by such a pro- 

 fusion of illustrations of stitches and weaves 

 that little is left to be said. Similarly with 

 the distribution of types. This is a matter 

 of great ethnological significance and its 

 treatment is thoroughly good. Museums and 

 private collectors far and wide have been 

 drawn upon for material, and the result is an 

 exhaustive mass of information for which all 

 ethnologists will be devoutly thankful. 



With the sections on ornamentation and 

 symbolism the author reaches his difficulties. 

 These problems have been attracting atten- 

 tion for years. The development of geometric 

 patterns from- pictorial designs has long been 

 recognized, and from the nature of the ma- 

 terials this geometric ornamentation reaches 

 its greatest complexity in basketry. The 

 main problem has shifted of late from that 

 of how far geometric patterns have arisen 

 from realistic designs to that of how far 

 meanings are read into designs already con- 

 ventional. That this latter is a widespread 

 tendency is certain. Designs and types of 

 designs are borrowed and borrowed widely 

 and the symbolic significance of these same 

 patterns on foreign soil is quite as rich as 

 though totally different from that obtaining 

 in the groups of their origin. Culture and 

 temperament determine the meaning even if 

 not the form. 



The extent of this process is the present 

 problem at issue and a necessary preliminary 

 to its solution is an extensive study of the 

 local distribution of types of patterns with- 

 out regard to their interpretation. The trac- 

 ing of pattern elements, say from California, 

 northward through the Shahaptian to other 

 stocks north and east would yield much. 

 Such a research has never been made, and 

 although he recognizes its necessity, Professor 

 Mason does little more than touch upon it.. 

 It is greatly to be deplored that one so well 

 fitted did not accomplish for ornament what 

 he has done for technique, but the author's 



