56 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



curved outline of the figure representing the socket, the inner field 

 the ball. These designs are done both in carving and painting. 



18. Legging with porcupiue-quill embroidery ornamented with puffin beaks. 



The colors applied are principally black and red, 

 although green and blue also occur. Among the 

 Tsimshian and Tlingit the same kinds of designs 

 are used on blankets woven of mountain-goat wool 

 and cedar bark. The animals used for ornamenta- 

 tion are almost throughout those which play an 

 important part in the mythology and in the beliefs 

 connected with the social organization of the tribe. 

 It is remarkable that geometrical designs are practi- 

 cally absent. Only among the Tlingit, where elabo- 

 rate decoration of spruce-root basketry occurs, does 

 a highly developed geometrical decorative art accom- 

 pany the more realistic art before described. It 

 seems probable, however, that this art has been 

 introduced through contact of the coast tribes with 

 the tribes of the interior. The decoration resembles 

 the designs used hi the porcupine-quill embroidery 

 of Athapascan tribes, and is executed in basketry 

 by a peculiar method of "false embroidery." To 

 a limited extent, such geometric designs are used 

 in quill embroidery applied to leggings and other 

 articles of dress, and seem to have been used on old types of 

 blankets woven of mountain-goat wool. The realistic art, which is 



Fig. 19. Spoon made of 

 mountain-goat horn. 



