MARY SCHLICK'S OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BAG
Comments
on the Nez Perce Bag
I
had the opportunity to examine this important flat twined storage bag from the
Spalding/Allen Collection in January 2001. From
its size, shape, design, technique and materials I feel certain that the bag was
made by a Sahaptian-speaking weaver on the Columbia Plateau in the mid-19th
century or earlier. I base this identification on several factors:
The technique used
in weaving the bag is plain twining with the decorative areas achieved in
external weft wrap (commonly known as false embroidery). See David W. Fraser's
book, A Guide to Weft Twining, University
of Pennsylvania Press, 1989, 94ff, for a full discussion of the technique and
the groups who utilized it. Fraser attributes this particular variation of the
technique to Nez Perce, but Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla and other related
weavers also used it extensively to make the bags they needed for carrying and
storing dried foods and other necessary items. The tight fabric produced by this
technique created a dust-free container which was important in this dry region.
False embroidery is practiced today, but only for making handbags and smaller
pieces.
The
top edge of this bag is finished in a technique that I've seen only rarely on
the flat bags. Described as a "self edge," the technique produces a
braided effect and commonly is used on the round bags made by the Upper
Chinookan people (Wasco/Wishxam) of the Mid-Columbia River. The
majority of the flat
twined storage bags such as this one are finished by " twining off" -- employing the twining strands to
lock the bound-off wefts in place.
The form: Woven in one piece in
loose-warp (off-loom) twining and therefore seamless, such a large bag could be
folded away when empty and would expand to hold the great quantities of dried
food roots a family needed for the winter. It met the specific requirements of
families who had many places of residence, moving from one to the other with the
seasons.
The materials: Women of the Plateau
spin the outer fibers of the giant dogbane (Apocynum
cannibinum, known generally as Indian hemp) on their knees into a strong 2-ply string or twine that forms the
basic structure of the bag -- the
darkest background area. The design areas are woven using a strong species of
unknown grass, possibly beargrass (Xerophyllum
tenax) which is known to have been used in these earlier bags. I believe
that the two natural tones of the false embroidery in this bag are achieved by
using grass which has been dried in the shade (the darker) and in the sun (the
lighter). This use of grass predates the later adoption of cornhusk (Zea mays) for the designs. The yellow/orange color could have been
obtained from the roots of the sand dock (Rumex
venosus). Indian hemp is insect
resistant, an important attribute in a food-storage container.
The
subdued colors in the designs suggest an early date of manufacture, probably
before the 1840s. Although not evident on this bag, reds from raveled wool began
to appear in twined hats early in the 19th century and probably also were
incorporated in other early post-contact weaving.
The design motifs and arrangement on this
bag are consistent with those favored by Plateau weavers of the 19th century:
vertical columns of stacked triangles and stepped motifs are common patterns;
the designs on the two sides differ; a wandering left column is caused by the
left-moving tendency of Z-twining.
Date of manufacture:
From the signs of use on this bag, I believe it to have been made long before it
came to Ohio in 1846, and to be the earliest documented example of a flat twined
storage bag from the Columbia Plateau. The design, materials, and the large size
are consistent with weaving made
prior to the middle of the 19th century, before canvas
and other substitute materials for carriers were introduced in any quantity, and
before settlement limited access to many of the traditional root digging areas
reducing the quantities of food roots available and therefore the need for the
larger bags.
-- Mary D. Schlick