CARRYING (or Burden)
Cases No. 1, 7, 8, 11 and Overhead—Various Tribes.
This type of basket was used by the Paiutes of Nevada and the Gabrielenos and Maidus of California for carrying acorns; by the Quileutes of Washington for carrying salmon; by the Hopis of Arizona for carrying peaches and corn, and by the Zunis of New Mexico for carrying peaches. (See Plates [14c] & [14d])
Case No. 1. Examples of burden baskets used by the Cherokees of the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina.
Case No. 7 and 8: Examples of baskets used by the Karocs of California, showing the “Tump-line” basket with head band attached. (See [Plate 13c])
Case No. 11: Shows a harvest basket of the Cahuilla of California, used in carrying grains. (See [Plate 9a])
CARRYING
Cahuilla or Mission—California
Case No. 13:
This basket was used to carry grasshoppers to the brush and grass Wickiup where they were roasted on a long stick over a flame in preparation for eating.
There is nothing too unusual about mankind eating insects: The Holy Bible tells of the children of Israel—forty years in the wilderness—in the land of Canaan, eating locusts, as did John The Baptist while preaching in the wilderness. Today specialty stores retail grasshoppers, fried worms, bees and ants—many of which are chocolate coated! (See [Plate 14a])
GRASSHOPPER STEWING
Paiute—Nevada
Case No. 13:
This basket was made for cooking grasshoppers. After the grasshoppers were placed in the basket the top was tied with a buckskin thong and submerged in boiling water. The basket was removed from the water when the grasshoppers were sufficiently cooked and ready to be eaten. (See [Plate 10c])
WATER TIGHT
c. 1875
Thlinkit—Alaska
Case No. 5:
This water-tight boiling basket is made of spruce roots which have been finely split by hand. It is woven as tightly as commercially woven canvas water bags. These baskets are no longer made for cooking because metal containers are readily available.
The design motif of this unusually fine specimen is constructed of mountain grass, commonly called Squaw Grass. The grass is soaked in bog mud all winter, giving it the black color. The copper color is obtained by boiling the grass with copper ore, and the white is the same grass, sun bleached. (See [Plate 9c])
CARRYING BASKET
c. 1890
Papago—Arizona
Case No. 4:
This carrying, or burden, basket, referred to by Papagos as Kiaha, is made of stems from the Cereus Giganteus Cactus and the twine from leaves of the Maguey plant. The Maguey plant played a major role in Papago life due to the fact that food, rope, twine, varnish, needles, and liquor were obtained from it.
The Papagos taught the Spaniards to make liquors from the juice of the Maguey plant more than four hundred years ago. The liquor is still made today in Mexico.
In 1540, the Spaniards, led by Coronado, arrived in the Southwest and found this basket being used in daily life. Such items as Mesquite beans, cactus, wood, water jars and corn were carried in this basket, which is equipped with a head band and rests on the shoulders. After the Spaniards introduced horses and horses became plentiful, the men ceased to have need for (or to make) this basket.
It is interesting to note that the weaving technique of this (one of the few baskets made by men) may be called the American counterpart of Belgian Point Lace. (See [Plate 13d])
ROASTING TRAYS
c. 1890
Yurok—California
Modoc—Oregon
Case No. 12:
These three trays are used for roasting shelled nuts such as hazel nuts and pinon nuts. The nuts are placed on the tray along with red-hot wood coals. A revolving motion is applied to the tray and the coals are rolled so deftly that they do not burn the tray. (See [Plate 9d])
CORN HUSK (or “Sally”) BAGS
c. 1850
Umatilla—Oregon
Case No. 10:
This specimen was made of a hemp foundation and false embroidery of twisted corn husks. Vegetable dyes were used.
The name “Sally Bag” goes back to an older use of the term sally, meaning “to go forth,” “to sally forth,” i.e. to travel.
The bags were used as travel bags and were tied to the back of the cantle of the saddle. They were known to have been in use at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805. (See [Plate 15a])
EFFIGY—TRINKETS
Alibamu of Texas, formerly of Alabama
Papago of Arizona
Case Nos. 2 and 13:
These baskets are unique works of art. Each shows considerable creativity. The Alibamu turkey basket made of pine cones and the Papago owl made of Yucca plant are used as trinket baskets. In more recent years, additional types have been made in the form of birds, frogs, turtles, alligators, armadillos, etc. These baskets have proven quite popular and have therefore become an asset to the economy of the craftsman. (See Plates [5c] & [5d])
IMBRICATED WEAVE
Yakima—Toppenish, Washington
Case No. 11:
The Latin word Imbrex means tile; imbricated means overlapping like tiles or a decoration resembling tiles. This basket is an excellent example of the imbricated weave.
This basket was formerly used for cooking and is now used in berry picking. There are four different materials used in the construction: the foundation is coiled, split cedar roots; the white color is bleached mountain grass; the dark red is cherry tree bark; the brown is cedar bark. (See [Plate 5a])
BIRCHBARK
Various Tribes
Case No. 8:
Many items are made from birch-bark by the Indians in areas where the birch tree grows in abundance. Like many other cultures, the Indian used objects for daily use which required the least effort to make. Birch-bark lends itself readily to easy construction.
Shown here are many forms of birch-bark construction: boxes, buckets, creels, trays, etc.
[Plate 3d]: Algonquin fishing creel [Plate 7c]: Algonquin canoe box [Plate 7d]: Chippewa storage box [Plate 8c]: Chippewa wild rice gathering tray
SQUASH BLOSSOM
Pima—Arizona
Case No. 7:
The decorative motif of these baskets is actually thought of by the Pima weaver as a “progressive design,” rather than that of a squash blossom. The design is executed in sequences of three to twelve petals, one of a sequence to each basket. Only two complete sets (ten baskets to a set) are known to exist. They are no longer made.
These baskets were used for such things as winnowing grain and gathering fruit and vegetables. (See [Plate 9b])
PORCUPINE QUILL DECORATION
c. 1903
Chippewa—Minnesota
Case No. 2:
One of the finest examples of the Indian woman’s native creative arts is found in porcupine quill decoration. The artist formerly prepared her own dyes from berries, roots, barks, etc. Today, aniline dyes are used almost exclusively. Steps used in the preparation of quills for bark decoration are as follows:
The artist usually divides the quills into four lengths and stores them in separate containers because they differ in length and thickness (one to four inches long and 1/16 to 3/32 inches thick). The quills are washed well in soap root before being dyed, and stored. When she is ready to use the quills she softens them in her mouth. The warmth and moisture are most effective and it is thought that the saliva contains some special property that makes them more pliable. She generally keeps a number of the quills of the same size and color in one cheek with the points protruding from her lips, pulling out a quill as it is needed. Small holes are punched in the bark with an awl and the quill is inserted in these holes. The ends are bent over on the back side of the bark to hold them in place. By using quills of the desired length to fit the decoration, it is not necessary to cut them. The quill swells and stiffens as it dries, making it even more secure.
In most boxes, so decorated, a plain undecorated piece of bark is fitted on the inside (or back side) to hide the raw ends of the quills. Three to four thousand quills are required to cover a box the size of the one shown in [Plate 1a]. Vegetable dyes were used on the quills of this box and have not faded in more than fifty years. (See [Plate 1a])