Boas, Franz: Primitive art (Oslo , Leipzig [u.a.], 1927)

92

Symbolism



instituted by the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
His observations were made among the Cheyenne, and on account
of their importance, they may be quoted here;1 “Representations of
heavenly phenomena are found in their highest development among
the agricultural Pueblo tribes, whose whole cult consists essentially in
magic performances
intended to secure
rain.Besides this, ge-
ographical motives
are used, such as
mountains, rivers,
trails, camping sites,
which are important
to the Indians who
inhabit the endless
prairies. A typical
example is found on
the ornament taken
from a moccasin (fig.
83- a) in which a
dark blue series of
triangles represent
mountains, a light
blue stripe a river,
a red one a trail.
A second ornament,
also taken, from a
moccasin (Fig. 83 b)
shows a series of tents. Red dots in the triangular tents represent fire.
“The hoods of cradle boards are generally richly ornamented.
The design of a specimen purchased by me is of peculiar interest
on account of the representation of abstract ideas (Fig. 83 c, d). As
usual, the upper surface of the hood is white, which color, in the
1 Ethnologisches Notizblatt, vol. II, 1, pp. 27 et seq. (1899).


Fig. 83. Designs of the Cheyenne Indians.