Art, Prehistoric; Folk literature -- History and criticism
In fig. 273 the upper eyes have been moved towards the center and the
eye design has been expanded into a profile which occupies the whole
upper margin of the central field. In fig. 273 _b_ the lateral fields
next to the central face are occupied by the two sides of the dorsal
fin so that here the form of a whale is brought out fairly clearly.
[Illustration: Fig. 273. Chilkat blankets.]
The general scheme of the narrow lateral panels is also quite definite.
We find on practically all the blankets an eye design,—part of the
profile of an animal’s head,—in the upper, outer corner, another eye
design near the lower border, generally approximately in the middle
of the lateral field. The position of the lower eye design is much
more irregular than that of the upper one. In general we are given the
impression of an animal, the body of which extends along the extreme
outer border of the blanket, the head occupying the centre of the
panel, while the feet or tail are shown along the lower border. In this
way a space is left in the middle, next to the central panel, which
does not belong essentially to the form of the animal.
In both fundamental types the intervening spaces which are not filled
by the large eye designs, the body, tail, and extremities, are filled
with a variety of patterns which depend only in part upon the selection
of the animal to be represented, but are very largely determined by
esthetic considerations.
[Illustration: Fig. 274. Front, reverse and side of a painted box.]
[Illustration: Fig. 275. Painted and carved box front.]
[Illustration: Fig. 276. Four sides of a painted box, Tlingit.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account