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

260

Art of the North Pacific Coast of North America

reduction of field 7 and its extension to the lower margin is rare
in other specimens. In fig. 202 field 7 is occupied by the raised
hands of the animal, while in fig. 269 a it is occupied by a wing
design. The rectangular frame surrounding the body in fig. 269 b
is an exceptional feature
which I have seen only
in one other modern
blanket.
A sub-type may be
distinguished in which
the lower part is treated
differently (fig. 270 a).
The two eyes of field 4
are of the same size as
those of field 1. In this
way a more symmetrical
impression is produced,
but at the expense of
the unity of the animal
form. This treatment
lends itself to a sharper
separation of the fields
5, 1, 7, 8 against the
fields 6, 2, 3, 4 so that
the whole central field seems to be divided into three sections (see
fig. 204). Fig. 270 a is decidedly influenced by the second type of
blanket; the four eyes being approximately of the same size and
symmetrically arranged around a central face.
The fundamental feature of the second type of blankets is a cen-
tral face placed a little higher than in the preceding type, so that it
forms exactly the center of the whole field. In place of the large
eyes on top, we find two large inverted eyes, often without the
adjoining jaw design. In many cases two small circular patterns,
or small eye designs, occupy the center of the lower border. These


Fig. 270. Chilkat blankets.