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

246

Art of the North Pacific Coast of North America

The hawk which is shown in fig. 257 has been cut in a different
manner, namely, from the beak backward, the two halves being
then turned outward. The centre of the design is occupied by the
two halves of the head, and the two talons which adjoin it. The wings
are cut off from the body, and occupy the outer corners of the design.
The designs on the following series of carvings are no less .con-
ventionalized. Fig. 258 is a sea-monster adjusted to a circular slate
dish. The carving is perfectly
symmetrical. The drawing ap-
pears asymmetrical because it
has been taken from an eccentric
point of view. Here also the
centre is occupied by the head
of the animal. The tail is seen
under the lowest part of the
mouth, turned upward in front
of the body. The arms are
shortened considerably. They
are attached to the lower corners
of the mouth, the paws touching
the chin. The fins are joined
to the upper part of the arms,
and are turned upward so that
they lie close to the sides of the face and about on a level with
the ears. Attention is called again to the spiral nostrils.
In fig. 259, which represents the front of a small box carved in
slate, the same sea-monster is shown. Again we see the animal cut
in two, the section separating the eyes and the ears, the mouth,
however, being left intact. Here the whole body has been omitted,
with the exception of the paws to which the fins are attached. The
paws will be recognized turned inward under the mouth, while the
fins extend upward along the outer margins of the slab. The dorsal
fin has been bisected, and one-half is shown in each upper corner.
The ornament in the centre of the upper margin probably represents


Fig. 258. Slate dish with design representing
a sea-monster, Haida.