THE POMO BASKETS

THE POMO MADE BOTH TWINED AND COILED BASKETS AND THEY ARE KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR THEIR EXCELLENT CREATION OF COILED BASKETRY. THEY USED SPLIT REDBUD FOR THEIR TWINED BASKETS TO WEAVE INTRICATE PATTERNS. THE REDBUD WAS CUT IN OCTOBER SO THE BARK WOULD ADHERE. THEY MADE CONICAL BASKETS FOR ACORN COLLECTION.

THEY MADE SMALL BASKETS INTO DRINKING CUPS. THE BASKETS WERE MADE BY WILLOW STEMS. HAZELNUT WERE SIZED USING OBSIDIAN KNIVES. WEFTS USED FOR TWINED BASKETS CAME FROM GRAY PINE, WILLOW ROOT, BULRUSH, OR SEDGE ROOT. ALL MATERIALS WERE KEPT WET WHILE WORKING A BASKET. THEY WERE STORED AND THEN THE ROOTS WERE SOAKED FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE WEAVING. ELSIE ALLEN'S BOOK ON HOW THE POMO WOVE THEIR BASKETS REMAINS A GOOD SOURCE FOR LEARNING THE DETAILS OF BASKET MAKING. ONE OR THREE RODS FORMED THE FOUNDATION OF THE BASKET AND IT SPIRALED OUTWARD USING SEDGEROOT TO COIL AROUND THE WILLOW. ELSIE BROKE FROM TRADITION IN ORDER TO LET OTHER NON POMO KNOW ABOUT THE TECHNIQUES USED FOR BASKET MAKING.

IF YOU LOOK IN THE LIBRARIES YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF DISSERTATIONS ON BASKET MAKING. IT IS A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC.