Art, Prehistoric; Folk literature -- History and criticism
Examples of this type are shown in figs. 202 and 269. In these the
animal figure in the center appears very clearly. It will be noticed
that the large eyes of the animal have always a cheek design attached
to them. These appear also in fig. 203, a blanket belonging to the same
class, the lower part of which is, however, much less distinctively
body and tail belonging to the large head. The reduction of field 7
and its extension to the lower margin is rare in other specimens. In
fig. 202 field 7 is occupied by the raised hands of the animal, while
in fig. 269 _a_ it is occupied by a wing design. The rectangular frame
surrounding the body in fig. 269 _b_ is an exceptional feature which I
have seen only in one other modern blanket.
[Illustration: Fig. 270. Chilkat blankets.]
A sub-type may be distinguished in which the lower part is treated
differently (fig. 270 _a_). The two eyes of field 4 are of the same
size as those of field 1. In this way a more symmetrical impression
is produced, but at the expense of the unity of the animal form. This
treatment lends itself to a sharper separation of the fields 5, 1,
7, 8 against the fields 6, 2, 3, 4 so that the whole central field
seems to be divided into three sections (see fig. 204). Fig. 270 _a_
is decidedly influenced by the second type of blanket; the four eyes
being approximately of the same size and symmetrically arranged around
a central face.
The fundamental feature of the second type of blankets is a central
face placed a little higher than in the preceding type, so that it
forms exactly the center of the whole field. In place of the large eyes
on top, we find two large inverted eyes, often without the adjoining
jaw design. In many cases two small circular patterns, or small eye
designs, occupy the center of the lower border. These may often be
identified with the nostril of the head to which the two large lower
eyes belong. This pattern is much more symmetrical than the former
type, but its symbolism is much more obscure. I presume that the
inverted position of the eye in the upper border is essentially due
to the attempt to obtain greater symmetry. For an explanation it is
necessary that the upper eyes must be viewed as some part of the body
that is turned upside down. Characteristic examples of this type are
shown in figs. 103 and 271. In these, the fields to the right and left
of the central face are treated, in the former, as a profile face; in
the second they are decorated with a feather design filler. A somewhat
different treatment is given in fig. 272 which may be compared with
fig. 270. In both a large face occupies the center of the whole design,
surrounded by the four large eyes and the lateral spaces filled with
feather designs.
[Illustration: Fig. 271. Chilkat blankets.]
[Illustration: Fig. 272. Chilkat blanket.]
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