DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42067#0283
Art of the North Pacific Coast of North America
255
(fig. 270a, over the “goggle” design on the side of the central panel).
Examples of these forms have been collected by Lieutenant Emmons
who states that the Tlingit call them “the wing-feather of red-winged
flicker” (fig. 2661). The use of the pointed form of this design
for a bird feather agrees with the theoretical claim of the Kwakiutl (see
p. 205), but obviously the explanation does not always fit the mean-
ing of the pattern as a whole, as is shown by the killer-whale design
fig. 205 (p. 215) or the whale design fig. 270 (p. 260).
The design is used commonly to represent quite diverse objects.
Thus, the double flicker-feather (fig. 266 t), occurs in fig. 269 a as
the beak of a bird, occupying the middle of the mouth design be-
tween the two large eyes. It occurs also between the ears along
the upper border of the design as the single flicker-feather. Here
as well as over the beak of the bird, in the lateral fields, it is
used only for filling in parts of the design which otherwise would
remain undecorated. In fig. 202 (p. 213) the same design occurs
between the eyes, just over the nostril, and here also it obviously
has nothing to do with the red-winged flicker. Many other cases
of this application of the wing-feather design, simply for the purpose
of filling in spaces, may be observed in practically all the blankets.
A comparison of fig. 202 with the box designs fig. 274 shows that
the wing-feather design may serve to express the forearm and the
upper arm. In fig. 274, we have the two hands placed in a position
similar to the paws in figs. 202 and 269 b. On the box fig. 274 a
the parts are connected with the body by a narrow red strip, which
is divided by characteristic curves into two parts. A comparison of
this design with figs. 222 and 223 shows very clearly that they
are meant to represent the upper arm. In the blanket design fig.
269 b, the two sections connecting the paw with the body may be
recognized distinctly as upper arm and forearm. In the blanket
designs fig. 202, the space that is available for the upper arm is
much condensed; but it is quite obvious that the two wing-feather
designs which lie on the outer sides of the paws must be inter-
preted here also as the forearm and upper arm. Judging by this
255
(fig. 270a, over the “goggle” design on the side of the central panel).
Examples of these forms have been collected by Lieutenant Emmons
who states that the Tlingit call them “the wing-feather of red-winged
flicker” (fig. 2661). The use of the pointed form of this design
for a bird feather agrees with the theoretical claim of the Kwakiutl (see
p. 205), but obviously the explanation does not always fit the mean-
ing of the pattern as a whole, as is shown by the killer-whale design
fig. 205 (p. 215) or the whale design fig. 270 (p. 260).
The design is used commonly to represent quite diverse objects.
Thus, the double flicker-feather (fig. 266 t), occurs in fig. 269 a as
the beak of a bird, occupying the middle of the mouth design be-
tween the two large eyes. It occurs also between the ears along
the upper border of the design as the single flicker-feather. Here
as well as over the beak of the bird, in the lateral fields, it is
used only for filling in parts of the design which otherwise would
remain undecorated. In fig. 202 (p. 213) the same design occurs
between the eyes, just over the nostril, and here also it obviously
has nothing to do with the red-winged flicker. Many other cases
of this application of the wing-feather design, simply for the purpose
of filling in spaces, may be observed in practically all the blankets.
A comparison of fig. 202 with the box designs fig. 274 shows that
the wing-feather design may serve to express the forearm and the
upper arm. In fig. 274, we have the two hands placed in a position
similar to the paws in figs. 202 and 269 b. On the box fig. 274 a
the parts are connected with the body by a narrow red strip, which
is divided by characteristic curves into two parts. A comparison of
this design with figs. 222 and 223 shows very clearly that they
are meant to represent the upper arm. In the blanket design fig.
269 b, the two sections connecting the paw with the body may be
recognized distinctly as upper arm and forearm. In the blanket
designs fig. 202, the space that is available for the upper arm is
much condensed; but it is quite obvious that the two wing-feather
designs which lie on the outer sides of the paws must be inter-
preted here also as the forearm and upper arm. Judging by this