PRIMITIVE ART 



21 



Interpretation of Arapaho Designs. — The characteristics of In- 

 dian interpretations will best appear from a description of a few 

 specimens. The square 

 design near the lower 

 edge of a small pouch 

 (Case 20 c) is the bear's 

 foot, generally con- 

 ventionally represent- 

 ed by the Arapaho 

 with only three claws. 

 Square pink spots on 

 the body of the design 

 are the bare skin on 

 the sole of the foot. 

 The white bead-work 

 is sand or soil. The 

 curved band on the 



flap is a mountain. The leather fringe at the bottom of the 

 pouch represents trees. 



White beading on another pouch represents 

 sand; the green beads at the edges, on account 

 of their color, represent timber; two compressed 

 crosses, the morning star; and squares on the 

 flaps, rocks. The large figure near the bottom is 

 a mountain with a tree on its summit. Below it 

 are four small red and blue rectangles, which de- 

 note little streams flowing from a spring near the 

 foot of the mountain. The spring is represented 

 by a green square in the large triangle. 



Paint-pouches amulets and head-ornaments 

 are often given animal forms. The pouch illus- 

 trated here represents a lizard. The large ornament 

 at about the middle of the bag represents a but- 

 terfly. The triangles are its wings, and the rhom- 

 boidal figure of bead-work projecting on the 

 leather surface is its body. On the flap is the 

 dragon-fly. The detached, somewhat triangular 

 figures at the sides of the dragon-fly are its wings. 



