The Art and the Romance of Indian Basketry: Clark Field Collection, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, 1964Field, Clark
History
The Art and the Romance of Indian Basketry: Clark Field Collection, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, 1964
Field, Clark
Indian baskets -- North America
This specimen was made by a direct descendant of King _Massasoit_, the
Indian chief who met the Puritans at their Plymouth Rock landing in
1621. Massasoit was the father of King Phillip, for whom the King
Phillip’s Indian Wars of 1676, were named.
(See Plate 2c)
CEREMONIAL WINE BASKET
c. 1837
_Papago_—Arizona
Case No. 4:
Annually, in July when the fruit of the Saguaro Cactus is ripe, the
_Papagos_ hold their _Nahwehteete_ (wine drinking) ceremony. The purpose
of this ceremony is to offer a prayer of supplication to bring rain.
Wine, made from the Saguaro (called _Tizwin_) is passed around in this
basket and served from a gourd dipper.
Between dances the basket is used for storing the sacred ceremonial
paraphernalia used in the dance. The “Keeper of the Sacred Basket”
seldom ever parts with the basket. Therefore, not many can be found in
public or private collections.
(See Plate 17b)
MORTUARY
_Pomo_—Northern California
Case No. 3:
The _Pomo_ Indians are the only tribe known to have completely and fully
decorated baskets with feathers. These baskets were considered to be the
tribe’s highest artistic achievement. It was a great honor to the memory
of a deceased person when this type of basket, especially made for such
an occasion, was placed on his body at the cremation ceremony. It may be
said that the sacrifice of these baskets was the tribe’s most profound
means of showing respect at the time of cremation.
The custom of making and using these baskets no longer prevails. Few
people today know the art, and even fewer people are willing to devote
the nearly two years to make one feathered basket.
At the time this ceremony was active in the _Pomo_ culture, each family
had several such baskets in reserve. It must therefore be assumed that
the women of the tribe devoted a great deal of their time producing
these symbols to honor the dead.
It is interesting to compare cultures: The _Pomo_ Indian sacrificed a
work of art which took about two years to make—today’s Anglo society
calls the florist and orders a “ten dollar spray” of flowers. This
basket on the collector’s market is valued at about $300.
(See Plate 18c & 18d)
JUMPING DANCE
_Hoopa_—California
Case No. 4:
The “Jumping Dance Basket” receives its name from a ceremony in which
the participants perform with jumping dance motions. This ceremony is a
prayer of supplication for the return of the soil’s fertility. It is
held in the spring of the year on land that has ceased to bear crops.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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