Two women basket weavers with their kids in the 1800's.(wow, that is NOT a happy photo!)
Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
While I was doing research for Herman's story, mostly looking for time period photos, I kept finding excellent examples of baskets which were woven by the Comanche and Apache women. I was so taken by the unique and intricate designs that I wanted to share a few of them.
Most Indian baskets were shallow dishes or trays used for food preparation, this is an example:
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You'll notice that one of the figures on the basket looks like a Nazi swastika. This was one of the common designs in ancient American Indian tribes and is called The Swirling Log pattern. Here's an explanation which explains it better than I can:
The Whirling Log symbol is associated with a narrative involving a man (sometimes called the Culture Hero) who takes a journey down the San Juan River in a hollowed out log canoe.
During his adventure, he encounters whirlpools and a special event where the San Juan River meets the Colorado River. There he comes upon a whirling cross with Yei figures seated on the cross. From the yeis he learns much knowledge which he takes back to his people.
So it's a positive thing, not a horror symbol. They also used it on jewelry:
Obviously you will only find the symbol on antique jewelry and baskets made before 1940.
Many of the tribes were famous for their basket weaving and the Apache were one of those. They used baskets for everything from food preparing and storage to fetching water from the river or lake(they coated the insides with pine sap which waterproofed them), to ceremonial uses.
An Apache girl going for water on the rez. There's no way she's carrying that back on her head if it's full of water!
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The basket weavers used secret methods which were handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years and the women who survived the Indian wars and ravages of the white man's diseases continued making baskets on the reservations.
In fact, that's what one of my favorite paintings by Zhou Shu Liang is about, the tribes selling handcrafted wares in the street markets(I hope they gouged those Palefaces good!):
When the Great Depression came along in 1929 the sales of baskets begane to dry up so the basket weavers stopped making them. Modern manufacturing and metal cookware was one factor but the Depression itself caused the majority of buyers to stop spending.
This highly detailed type of basket is no longer made. This basket made in the 1800's would probably sell for 60 to $100,000. If not more.
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After WWII sales to tourists picked back up but by that time the old basket weavers using the very intricate patterns were either dead or not willing to spend months making one basket anymore. It just wasn't worth the sacrifice in time and effort.
I'll continue with more baskets and vintage photos tomorrow.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas
