At the present time the Kwakiutl apply the symbolic style in house
paintings, house posts, and masks. The skill of the artist is not
inferior to that found among the northern tribes, but the subject
matter differs somewhat according to the difference in mythological
concepts. The distortions in painting are, if anything, more daring
than those of the Haida, but I have not observed to the same degree the
tendency to interlock various animal forms, as is done on spoon handles
and totem poles of the northern tribes. On totem poles so far as these
occur, and on house posts the single figures are placed one on top
of the other, but they remain separated. The masks are painted as
elaborately as those of the northern tribes. Double masks and revolving
attachments occur. In short, the decorative art of those objects that
are strictly related to use in totemic and similar ceremonies, have the
northern type, while objects of every day life tend to have geometric
ornamentation. The use of animal forms on large dishes (see fig. 198,
p. 208) is a characteristic trait of this region.
[Illustration: Fig. 301. Basket, Lower Chehalis.]
[Illustration: Fig. 302. Designs on matting, Kwakiutl.]
Historical tradition confirms our view that the northern art type is
of recent introduction among the Kwakiutl. In ancient times the walls
of the houses were built of horizontal, overlapping boards that did
not admit painting, except on separate planks. Old Indians claim that,
until about 1860, the house posts were heavy planks with relief carving
or painting,—like those known to us from Fraser River, and that only
masks were of the same type as those now in use.
While realistic representations are rare among the northern tribes,
they are found quite frequently among the Kwakiutl. They are
principally caricatures that are made and exhibited for the purpose of
ridiculing a rival. A head used in a ceremonial performance has been
referred to before (fig. 156 p. 185).
I have stated that in basketry and matting geometrical ornamentation
is used by all the tribes. It is the style of the woman’s art. On
decorated mats checker designs are made in black and red on the
background of natural color of cedar bark (fig. 302). More elaborate
are the patterns which occur on spruce root weaving, particularly on
hats. These are made by twining, and ornamental lines are developed by
the occasional skipping of two woof strands. By this device lines are
produced which appear raised over the surface of the plain weaving. The
most frequent designs which are made in this way consist of a series of
diamonds and of zig-zag lines. Sometimes these hats are also painted. In
these the woven pattern disappears almost completely under the painted
design (fig. 303).
On the coast of Alaska we find the highest development of the geometric
style.
[Illustration: Fig. 303. Woven hat of spruce root, Kwakiutl.]
[Illustration: Fig. 304. Decorative designs from Tlingit basketry.]
The patterns used on these baskets consist of angular forms, except on
modern placques, and bear names.[116] From the way in which these are
used we may infer that they have no symbolic significance. I give here
a selection of these. Fig. 304 _a_, _b_, _c_, patterns consisting of
zig-zag lines, represent in this order: the woodworm or the woodworm
tracks (_a_), lightning (_b_), the butterfly (_c_). The rectangle
divided by an oblique line, (_d_), represents tracks of the bear;
the dark part of the rectangle may be interpreted as the sole of the
foot; the light part of the rectangle as the claws. The design (_e_)
is called the arrow; (_f_) the rainbow; (_g_) fire weed; and (_h_)
the hood of the raven. Fig. 305 _a_ shows various representations
of the isosceles triangle, some of which are identical with the
forms occurring in California. All of these are called head of the
salmon-berry. The designs _b_, _c_, and _d_, are closely related; (_b_)
is generally used on the narrow central band which separates two broad
design bands; it is called “tying”. Flying geese are represented in
(_c_); tracks of geese in (_d_). The complicated design in (_e_) is
called “raven tail”; the relation between this name and the form is not
clear; (_f_) shows a number of representations of the wave. Designs
(_g_) and (_h_) are from circular placques; (_g_) represents the fern
frond; (_h_) the porpoise. In the last named case the relation between
form and name is obscure.
[116] G. T. Emmons, The Basketry of the Tlingit, Memoirs American
Museum of Natural History. Vol. 3 (1903) pp. 229 et seq.
I have little doubt that the designs are closely related to the blanket
patterns previously referred to and to the porcupine quill embroidery
of the tribes of the interior. The design fig. 304 _h_, for instance,
is found in identical form on the lowest stripe of the Bella Coola
blanket on top of Plate XII. The arrangement of patterns in blocks on
these blankets is also similar to the arrangement found in this type
of basketry. In fact the technique is a kind of embroidery in which
the decorative material is wrapped around the woof strand when the
basket is being made. The materials used are grasses and fern stems of
contrasting color.
[Illustration: Fig. 305. Decorative designs from Tlingit basketry.]
The baskets are round, mostly with almost straight walls. The diameter
is very nearly equal to the height. On the majority of baskets which
are used for berrying and as general receptacles, the patterns are
applied in horizontal bands. The rim of the basket is generally
undecorated. The rim weave which holds the warp together, is in most
cases quite insignificant and does not give a decorative effect. The
only specimen of decorative band at the upper rim, with which I am
familiar, has no color embroidery but has only a zig-zag decoration made
by the process of twilling described before, similar to the pattern
fig. 304 _h_. Most baskets are decorated by a broad band parallel to
the rim, which consists of two wide stripes separated by a narrow one.
These bands are placed at a short distance from the upper rim. (Plate
XIV). The distance is often about equal to the width of the central
band. The designs on the wide upper and lower bands are generally
identical. The central dividing band is in most cases decorated with
small elements arranged in zig-zag lines. In a fairly large number of
cases, only the two outer bands are embroidered, while the central
band remains undecorated. In a few cases the central band is reduced
to a single undecorated line of stitches so that the impression is
conveyed of a single broad band encircling the whole basket. In open
work spoon baskets the central band is placed near the middle of the
basket, while the outer bands are moved to the bottom and to the upper
border. Although some of the designs are of such a character that they
may be used as continuous horizontal bands, there is a marked tendency
of dividing up the circumference into a number of panels which are
separated by straight vertical lines.
A considerable number of the baskets decorated with three bands have
either two or four “droppers”, and in a few cases the design of the
“dropper” is repeated over the upper design. The number of repetitions
of the design in the bands is quite irregular, some of the large
designs are repeated only twice. When there are many repetitions of
the design in the upper and lower band their distribution is generally
quite independent, that is, the upper and lower design elements are not
fitted the one over the other.
Unfortunately there is not enough porcupine embroidery available
that will allow us to investigate in detail the relations between
the patterns used in this industry and in basketry. The designs here
described are akin to the geometrical basketry patterns of other parts
of the Pacific slope and to designs occurring in bead embroidery. They
are entirely foreign to the painting and carving described in the
previous pages.
[Illustration: PLATE XIV.