Surprises in San Diego: Baskets in Balboa Park Part 2

The San Diego Natural History Museum is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. Rebranded as The NAT, it is the eastern cornerstone of Balboa Park's museum row. I have to mention here the fabulous fossil exhibit, with dinosaurs, as I was accompanied on my visit by a paleontologist eager to check it out. The NAT is a vibrant place humming with activity. And baskets, as I was delighted to find.

Specifically, there is one very well designed and functional exhibit case which tells a story that I've been telling for years. The epitome of human and habitat interaction. Basically, "the environment determines the type of plants that grow in a region. Basketweavers have an intimate awareness of their environment. They know which plants they need and when, where, and how they should be gathered and prepared." The materials, whether they be slender fern fronds, strong roots, or stout willow branches, help to govern the techniques used in local basketry, and the types of baskets that are woven.  (Source: Reflections of Culture: Basketry from the Southwest Museum by Bryn Barabas Potter, 2000, Southwest Museum, Los Angeles CA.)

The NAT's very educational exhibit case proudly displays a basket tray. This basket was woven by Marisol Torres Carrillo of the Kumeyaay Nation, and it definitely exemplifies the mix of human and habitat. The designs encompass the fauna of the region - rattlesnake, bat, spider, eagle, scorpion, butterflies and moths. It is a coiled basket, with stitches of juncus and an interior bundle of deergrass. It is beautifully woven. Juncus is a reed, it provides the golden color in the background and the darker orange color in the design. The black is dyed juncus. This basket melds juncus and deergrass from the land with images of the local wildlife, expertly formed by human hands.

I am also impressed with the well-constructed display case itself. 

The basket is on top, with text labels,and a bunch of juncus.  The case has a few pull-out drawers which share more information about the region's basketry, including finely preserved herbarium specimens.

If you find yourself in San Diego, I highly recommend taking the time to investigate this informative  and compact display, as I've only shown you one of the three drawers!