12 



PRIMITIVE ART 



broidery of the tribes of the interior. Most of the ornamented 

 baskets are made of spruce-root, and are embroidered with grass. 

 The ornaments are generally arranged in two broad parallel 

 stripes of the same design, separated by a narrow band contain- 

 ing a different design. The motives consist of rectangular and 

 triangular forms. The people interpret each motive as the rep- 

 resentation of some realistic object. The meander pattern is 

 interpreted as waves and as objects floating in the waves, while 

 a similar design executed in obtuse angles is interpreted as the 



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butterfly. Diagonal rows of small rectangles are interpreted as a 

 string tied around the basket, while two such lines meeting in a 

 point are interpreted as flying geese ; and a diamond made up in a 

 similar way represents goose-tracks. Rectangles divided diago- 

 nally into two sections are interpreted as bear's feet, one half re- 

 presenting the sole of the foot, while lines in the other indicate 

 the claws. In many cases, both the design and the figure cut out 

 of the background are given names. 



It is important to note that the interpretations given to the 

 designs on some baskets seem to be entirely disconnected. 

 This suggests that the combination of the patterns has no dis- 

 tinct symbolic significance, but that the so-called "interpreta- 

 tions" are rather pattem-names. 



