ABORIGINAL DECORATIVE ART — KRIEGER 533 



of the Nootka, of VaiR-mivor Ishiiid, vi'>sols iiiay still l)i> carvod in 

 the lifelike forms of animals, but are there devoid of rt-liof 

 ornamentation. 



A textile center is located anionj,' the Salish tribes of inhiiid 

 Washinjjton and British Columbia. Small -icometric fijrures in col- 

 ored yarns woven in a twined technic as in the basketry of the Haida 

 and Tlin<:^it make up a decorative pattern rcsemblin*; the quilled 

 woven bands of the Dene of the adjacent caribou area. The Chilkat 

 blanket, woven by the northern coast Tlinojit is decorated more in 

 harmony with inland desijjns. Weaving of complex desii,ms in 

 twined blankets from patterns painted on wood are characteristic 

 of Chilkat textile art. In fact, the weavin«]^ of ^'oat's and dog's hair 

 into blankets or robes with decorative design in color not only rivals 

 the products of the Navaho and aboriginal Mexican looms, but hints 

 at aju'icnt connections with the weaving technic of the south. 



In the National Museum exhibit of Tlingit and Haida costumes 

 are large ceremonial blankets of goat's hair such as is being woven 

 in the large Chilkat group case; robes of tanned deer skin bordered 

 with quilled fringe and superb decoration in color; splendidly 

 painted dance aprons trinuncd with fur and fringed with deer 

 hoof tinklers; and a woven dance apron trimmed with puffin beaks. 



The house architecture, sculpture in wood, horn, slate, and the 

 wood carver's arts of the northwest coast tribes have aroused wonder 

 and admiration from the time of their discovery by the Russian 

 explorer Bering, who first landed at what is now called Sitka, 

 Alaska, in 1741. The earliest account of their peculiar arts dates 

 back to descriptions written by Captain Cook in 1778. No mention 

 is made by him of ever having observed totem poles, although his 

 artist illustrates a house interior showing the great interior liouse 

 posts with their carved totemic crests. 



Totemic forms and totem, 'poles. — Nowhere else in the world may 

 one find a similar typo of art. It represents for the most part the 

 carved figures of animal forms, usually of well-known animals, such 

 as the beaver, bear, killer-whale, shark, hawk, eagle, and raven, but 

 also of mythical creatures suph as the thunderbird, which makes 

 lightning by the flash of its eyes and thunder by the clapping of its 

 wings. 



These carved images find expression on the tall wooden totem poles, 

 house posts, dugout canoes; in fact, on almost every object of daily 

 use from a musical instrument to an artistically carved cooking pot of 

 cedar wood. The designs are usually in low relief but are duplicated 

 in paintings in native colors on house fronts, on boxes, and in tex- 

 tiles and basketry. 

 2S095— 31 35 



