Many of the representations are realistic, others are highly conventional. Some conventional representations are explained by similar figures. For instance, the radiating lines of the pictographs shown in Plate XVI are probably explained satisfactorily by similar figures in Plate XI, Fig. 2, such radiations on the costumed figure in antler shown in Fig. 121 or by the feather headdresses worn by the present natives. Spinden states that in the Nez Perce region, realistic figures are probably of recent origin.[352] One of the carvings is clearly of the art of the northwest coast, from which the object or the artist who executed it must have come. Some of the pictographic-geometric and conventional figures probably represent guardian spirits and illustrate dreams done in symbols. A few art forms are evenly spaced on objects but only a few are distorted to fit the shape of the field. Pictographic symbols and conventional figures may be placed in groups to form designs as in the arrangement of the circles and dots on the pipe shown in Fig. 106. [352] Spinden, p. 236. In general, the art of the region tends toward line work of geometric and a slightly pictographic nature. It shows little resemblance to that of the coast, but a strong relationship to that of the Plains. The decorative art of the Nez Perce region includes motives from the Plains and also from the Pacific Coast.[353] Some of their designs partake strongly of motives from the Plains, while here in the Yakima Valley there are perhaps more examples of coast art and still much influence from the Plains. Spinden says that in early times the Nez Perce were very poor in decorative ideas and that the richness and variety found in their modern art may be ascribed to the absorbing of ideas from other cultures. This is perhaps equally true of the Yakima region where the influence of coast art in proportion to that from the Plains is perhaps greater than in the Nez Perce region. [353] Spinden, p. 233.