A 1892 magazine article on the basketry of Native Californians, especially coiled baskets made by women of Southern California tribes. It covers materials (willow, grasses, redbud), coiling technique, dyes, geometric decoration, feather and bead work, and the uses of baskets for cradles, storage, cooking and gambling trays. It also includes legends, accounts of individual basket makers and private collections, and an argument that the art is declining and should be preserved through Indian education. Illustrated with halftone photographs of collections and Indian homes.