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1930J                 Kelly:  Yuki  Basketry               423





                                           COILED  WARE

                                           Use  and Shapes
                      Coiled baskets show evidence of the culinary uses mentioned above.
                   There  are  three  principal  forms - an open  dish  or  b-0wl  with  sides
                   slightly  flaring;  a  bowl  with  more  or  less  straight rising' sides;  and,
                   less frequently,  a rather smaller type with incurved sides  (i.e.,  convex
                   in cross-section).

                                              Materials
                      The  materials  of  75  of  the  78  Yuki  coiled  baskets  have  been
                   analyzed  by  Miss  Ruth  Earl Merrill.  Her unpublished  data  are  on
                   file  in the Museum  and may be  summarized as follows:
                      Foundation material :
                          48  dogwood  (Cornus  sp.)
                          13  redbrud  ( Cerois  ocoidentalis)
                           8  dogwood  and  redbud
                           4  willow  (Salix  sp.)
                           1  redbud  sapwood
                           1  hazel  (Corylus  rostrata var.  californica)
                      sewing  material :
                          43  redbud  wood
                          22  redbud  sapwood
                           9  redbud
                           1  redbud  root
                      The  distinction  between  the  first  three  is   not entirely  clear,  but
                  they  are  given  here  in accordance  with Miss  Merrill's entry.  At all
                  events,  the  sewing material  is  always some  form  or other of  redbud.
                     A  somewhat  similar  situation  obtains  as  regards  the  pattern-
                  forming  element.  Of  the  71  analyzed  cases  of  decorated  basketry,
                  69  have the pattern produced by sewing· in redbud bark.  In the other
                  two  instances, redbud sapwood and redbud  (?)  supply the design ele-
                  ment.  The  redbud bark is  a  dark reddish  brown color and  contrasts
                  nicely  with  the  natural  buff-colored  background.  Apparently  little
                  attempt was made to alter the natural color of the bark by dyeing,  as
                  only two such instances were observed.
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