The California Gaming Basket Collection is a series of baskets inspired by traditional gaming in native culture; as well as the games introduced by the Church and others.
Two new baskets in Linda Aguilar’s series just arrived and are now on display through March 16, 2008.
Bingo at Our House: Linda tells the story of Bingo played at home – “we never marked the cards that would have ruined them; we used beans or buttons. My Mother would go to thrift stores looking for abalone buttons. When she found something with them; she would buy it, take it home, cut off all the buttons and then re-donate it to the same store, button-less! That was kind of mean.”
Lucky Night at the Casino: A whimsical look at gaming in California; cards, dice and bingo, are all part of the popular games that have made “Indian Casinos” the success they are today. She has included shell buttons, reflecting back to the bingo games once played at her house.
“Pi” Shells: “Pi” in the Chumash language means walnut dice. The homage is to a traditional form of gaming using dice made of black walnut shells. Dentalium shell was once a form of money, and dress clams used in dance regalia, both highly valued in traditional culture. She adds an abalone button as a signature.
A California Gambling Tray: The size shape and design are traditional; her use of material, horsehair, is not. Trimmed with red Horsefeathers and tiny clam shell disks, this is the largest basket that she has ever made, and possibly the largest horsehair basket. The obligatory abalone shell button is here as well.
Pacific Western Traders is located at 305 Wool Street in the Historic District of Folsom, phone: 916.985.3851
