H16.2922

Basket, Cap, fine coiled work "Tubatulabal."(Dawson,65) From the History Information station: "Object: Basket hat, made by coiling, The reddish material is Joshua tree root; the dark brown material is devil's claw. It was collected among the Tubatulabal of Kern County, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. The hat was acquired by C.P. Wiclomb, founding curator of the oakland Public Museum, in 1910. History: Women almost always wore basket hats like this one. The hat was functional as well as decorative. When gathering seeds or other plant materials, women carry burden baskets using a net with a tump line. They placed the tump line, or band, against their forehead and allowed the net to hang down their back. The base of the basket was placed in the end of the net. When leaning slightly forward, the basket rested securely against their back. A well-fitting hat could protect the forehead from the pressure of the tump line."