Northern Californian Basketry Forms
Each Northern California basket has a specific purpose and use.
|
Storage basket:
Several forms and sizes of storage baskets were made, from heavy and large to light and delicate; from tightly woven with fitted lids, to open warp baskets which allow air to pass right through the body of the basket. The large baskets usually had a wide base, tall sides with a slightly inward lean near the top. They were often from 1 to 4 feet tall. |
|
|
Burden Baskets:
These were often large, conical in form, woven both with closed and open warps (closework and openwork), and often suspended or carried in nets and carried on the back. The baskets were held in place with a cordage tumpline extending from the net sides around the head of the carrier. The work hat was usually sparsely decorated; it protected the head and was used to help hold the tumpline in place. |
|
Seed Beater:
Another common work basket was the seed beater which was an open warp, often spoon shaped basket,which was used to beat grasses or other plants to knock off the seeds onto a flat, closed warp (closework) basketry tray. |
|
|
Hopper:
Another important work basket was the hopper which was a bottomless basket which was placed atop a stone mortar bowl or a flat stone. Placing the acorns on the stone and within the hopper, the worker would hold the basket in place with her legs, and pound the acorns with a heavy stone pestle which would splash the broken acorns upwards, but the hoppers walls catching the splash and redirecting the material back to the stone. A fiber brush would then sweep the acorn flour off the rock and into a large basketry bowl which was placed underneath the stone. |
|
Hats:
Both fancy (dress or ceremonial) hats and working hats were woven by the women but worn by both men and women. The dress hats normally have a flatter top so that it touches the head only at the rim, whereas the work hats were more dome-shaped and were worn tightly to the head. |
|
|
Cooking / Food:
Large closework baskets were used to cook acorn meal by placing the meal in water in the basket, and then placing hot stones in the basket to cook the meal. The stones were moved with sticks so they would not burn the basket, and when they cooled, they were removed, placed in a clear water basket to wash off the meal, and then put back into the fire to reheat. Small food bowls, usually about 3” deep and 8” in diameter were for individual meals. |
|
Sifting baskets:
Flat round baskets often with lattice twined reinforced rods on the back side; used to sift acorn flour by tapping the side of the basket with a stick. |
|
|
Trinket or Treasure Baskets:
Fancy smaller baskets used to hold something small a valuable. Sometimes given as a gift, and later, when the commercial trade grew, sold to the collector. There was an element of prestige obtained by the weaver to give away something of very high quality, and ones status within the tribal community was heightened through giveaways. A fine basket weaver was also considered by men as a very desirable wife. |
|
Tobacco Baskets:
Tobacco was placed in a smaller, a slightly cone shaped lidded basket. The basket sometimes had thin strips of hide or cordage netting around the basket and lid. |
|
|
Gaming Trays and Jump Dance Baskets:
Large, highly decorated, flat gaming trays were used to hold the dice or sticks in the various gambling games. Cylindrical baskets, often with painted deer skin coverings on the ends were held by the men in a ceremonial dance called the Jump Dance. |
|
Cross-Cultural forms:
Napkin Rings, Cup and Saucer, Teapot and many other forms of Anglo influence were made as trade items. |
|