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This basket is a masterpiece with over 44 stitches per inch. It bears the representation of the Spanish coin of the realm, the Globe Dollar. The maker stitched her name, Maria Marta, into the basket rim. She also recorded the name of the Franciscan mission, San Buena Ventura, located near present day Santa Barbara. presumably the mission she where she resided. |
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| Here is an image of an actual Globe Dollar next to an image of a basket with design elements from the dollar incorporated into it. Notice that this basket and the one above it combine both the banded patterns common among Southern California's Uto-Aztecan speakers and the isolated design elements common to Southern California's Hokan-Sioux speakers. |
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The basket hat pictured above is labeled as a Padre's hat. The artist who made this hat combined banded and isolated elements in its design. The rectangle with the V inside is often referred to as representing a rainbow. The design below it, which resembles stairs, is often interpreted as "water running down." These elements might indicate that the hat tells the story of the Great Flood from the Christian bible. The basket seen below relies on concentric bands of design. The surface of this basket appears to be made of juncus, a hollow rush that grows near water. The root portion can acquire a deep brick color referred to as "red." The upper part of the stem is golden in hue and it can be dyed to create a deep rich shade of black. |
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