Aboriginal Indian Basketry

Otis Tufton Mason's Aboriginal Indian Basketry stands among the foundational works of American ethnography. First issued in 1902 as part of the Report of the U.S. National Museum, Mason's exhaustive study classified the weaving techniques, materials, and regional traditions of Native basketmakers across the continent, from Washoe coiled bowls to the yucca-fiber sandals of the ancient Basket Makers of the Southwest. Its hundreds of plates and figures made it the standard reference for collectors and scholars alike.

This is the 1970 first printing of the Rio Grande Classic reprint, produced by The Rio Grande Press of Glorieta, New Mexico, and photographically enlarged throughout from the original. The Rio Grande Press built its reputation rescuing landmark Southwestern texts from obscurity, and this handsome red cloth edition, with its gilt basket vignette and Mason's name stamped on the spine, brought a costly Smithsonian rarity within reach of a new generation. A clean, sound copy like this documents both Mason's scholarship and the New Mexico press that preserved it.