DOI Heft:
The international Studio (August, 1908)
DOI Artikel:Mechlin, Leila: Primitive arts and crafts illustrated in the National Museum collection
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28255#0401
The Scrip
character and give aesthetic delight. There is a di-
rectness displayed in the use of motives which may
be savage, but is certainly gratifying, and a fineness
of finish to be noted which civilized work sometimes
lacks.
The fact that the colors are generally good may
not altogether redound to the credit of the primitive
craftsmen, for it must be admitted that where the
aniline dyes have been obtainable they have been
used instead of the quieter vegetable dyes and, in
lieu of natural materials, with small discrimination
and real barbarous joy. That nature only pro-
vided harmonious tints and that the love of color
was sufficiently vital to induce their use is, however,
occasion for congratulation. The old baskets are
in lovely golden browns, dull reds, quiet greens and
black, but some of the new are gleeful in emerald,
scarlet and ultra marine. From this it would seem
that in some respects the ancient aborigines
through their limitations had a distinct advantage.
It cannot be argued, however, that inherently their
taste was at fault. Of all the baskets, perhaps the
loveliest are those wrought by the Indians of the
Porno and Mariposan tribes, though from all sec-
tions of the country splendid specimens have come.
The Northwestern tribes generally have most pat-
ently demonstrated in their basketry the native
genius for decoration, though the tribes of other sec-
tions have also much fine work to their credit.
The process of basketry is interestingly illustrated
in the National Museum, and the transition from it
to other forms of the textile art graphically set forth.
Coiled basketry, which, it will be remembered, is a
system of stitching, is seen to lead quite naturally
to netting and lace work; and twined basketry,
which consists of twisted weft on a fixed warp,
sometimes suspended, to weaving in wool. Open-
work bags seem to have been the intermediate step
in the one case—bark matting in the other. An ex-
ample is given of one of the most primitive looms—
that used by the Chilkat Indians—and several
specimens of the blankets woven thereon are shown.
The loom is nothing more than two upright sticks
supporting a cross bar, on which the warp (in this
instance wool of the Rocky Mountain sheep) is sus-
pended. The weft, which is colored, is twined
about the warp in the same manner as in basketry,
the only shuttle being the skilful fingers of the
weaver. The designs of the Chilkat blankets,
which are copied from a pattern painted on a piece
of wood and suspended over the so-called loom, are
symbolical animal forms, much conventionalized,
each of which is worked into the texture independ-
ently, as in tapestry. The colors are canary yel-
low, bright blue, white and black—the effect very
ornamental. Straight blanket robes, woven, also,
without the use of a loom, but from side to side, by
the Indians of the Nez Perces tribe, are also shown,
which, while coarse, are good in texture and have
fine conventional borders. They are of dog hair
and sheep wool and are in dull tones of gray and
brown.
In contrast to these are the Navajo blankets,
woven, it is true, on a loom, but on one of very
primitive type, made of a single upright frame with
a flat, smooth stick separating the warp threads. In
the former instances the weaver worked down—
here she worked up. Technically the result is not
very superior. The pattern followed, however, is
quite different—the design being bolder and the
colors more pronounced. Whatever the American
aborigine owed to chance, certainly an apprecia-
tion for decorative effects was deeply rooted in his
nature.
This is manifested not only in his basketry and
woolen textiles, but in his feather and bead work,
some fine examples of which are included in the
museum’s collection. Here, as in all other branches
of primitive art, the touch of the white man is seen to
pollute—his advent to mark the beginning of de-
generacy. The Dutch traders and the French mis-
sionaries seem to have been the chief offenders here,
the one selling glass beads of insistent colors and
the other giving free instruction in puerile convent
embroidery. It is interesting and a bit pitiful to
SKOKOMISH NATIONAL MUSEUM
TWINED WALLETS COLLECTION
LXIII
character and give aesthetic delight. There is a di-
rectness displayed in the use of motives which may
be savage, but is certainly gratifying, and a fineness
of finish to be noted which civilized work sometimes
lacks.
The fact that the colors are generally good may
not altogether redound to the credit of the primitive
craftsmen, for it must be admitted that where the
aniline dyes have been obtainable they have been
used instead of the quieter vegetable dyes and, in
lieu of natural materials, with small discrimination
and real barbarous joy. That nature only pro-
vided harmonious tints and that the love of color
was sufficiently vital to induce their use is, however,
occasion for congratulation. The old baskets are
in lovely golden browns, dull reds, quiet greens and
black, but some of the new are gleeful in emerald,
scarlet and ultra marine. From this it would seem
that in some respects the ancient aborigines
through their limitations had a distinct advantage.
It cannot be argued, however, that inherently their
taste was at fault. Of all the baskets, perhaps the
loveliest are those wrought by the Indians of the
Porno and Mariposan tribes, though from all sec-
tions of the country splendid specimens have come.
The Northwestern tribes generally have most pat-
ently demonstrated in their basketry the native
genius for decoration, though the tribes of other sec-
tions have also much fine work to their credit.
The process of basketry is interestingly illustrated
in the National Museum, and the transition from it
to other forms of the textile art graphically set forth.
Coiled basketry, which, it will be remembered, is a
system of stitching, is seen to lead quite naturally
to netting and lace work; and twined basketry,
which consists of twisted weft on a fixed warp,
sometimes suspended, to weaving in wool. Open-
work bags seem to have been the intermediate step
in the one case—bark matting in the other. An ex-
ample is given of one of the most primitive looms—
that used by the Chilkat Indians—and several
specimens of the blankets woven thereon are shown.
The loom is nothing more than two upright sticks
supporting a cross bar, on which the warp (in this
instance wool of the Rocky Mountain sheep) is sus-
pended. The weft, which is colored, is twined
about the warp in the same manner as in basketry,
the only shuttle being the skilful fingers of the
weaver. The designs of the Chilkat blankets,
which are copied from a pattern painted on a piece
of wood and suspended over the so-called loom, are
symbolical animal forms, much conventionalized,
each of which is worked into the texture independ-
ently, as in tapestry. The colors are canary yel-
low, bright blue, white and black—the effect very
ornamental. Straight blanket robes, woven, also,
without the use of a loom, but from side to side, by
the Indians of the Nez Perces tribe, are also shown,
which, while coarse, are good in texture and have
fine conventional borders. They are of dog hair
and sheep wool and are in dull tones of gray and
brown.
In contrast to these are the Navajo blankets,
woven, it is true, on a loom, but on one of very
primitive type, made of a single upright frame with
a flat, smooth stick separating the warp threads. In
the former instances the weaver worked down—
here she worked up. Technically the result is not
very superior. The pattern followed, however, is
quite different—the design being bolder and the
colors more pronounced. Whatever the American
aborigine owed to chance, certainly an apprecia-
tion for decorative effects was deeply rooted in his
nature.
This is manifested not only in his basketry and
woolen textiles, but in his feather and bead work,
some fine examples of which are included in the
museum’s collection. Here, as in all other branches
of primitive art, the touch of the white man is seen to
pollute—his advent to mark the beginning of de-
generacy. The Dutch traders and the French mis-
sionaries seem to have been the chief offenders here,
the one selling glass beads of insistent colors and
the other giving free instruction in puerile convent
embroidery. It is interesting and a bit pitiful to
SKOKOMISH NATIONAL MUSEUM
TWINED WALLETS COLLECTION
LXIII