Chapter XII: Part 12

” 187. Wooden pipe representing a shark, Tlingit (A. M. N. H.
19/98) 200

” 188. Tattooing representing a shark, Haida (From a
photograph) 200

” 189. Handles of spoons representing a sea-monster, Haida
(A. M. N. H., _a_, E/298; _b_, E/826; _c_, E/296) 201

” 190. Handles of spoons made of mountain-goat representing
snail, Tlingit (A. M. N. H., _a_, 19/1116; _b_, E/828) 201

” 191. Types of eyes of various animals, Kwakiutl. _a_, sea bear;
_b_, grizzly bear; _c_, beaver; _d_, wolf; _e_, eagle;
_f_, raven; _g_, killer-whale 203

” 192. _a_, whale; _b_, sea lion; _c_, frog; _d_, double-headed
serpent; _e_, man; _f_, merman; _g_, spirit of the sea 204

” 193. Styles of tails, Kwakiutl; above bird, below sea mammals
205

” 194. Styles of wing designs and of fin designs, Kwakiutl; _a_,
fin; _b_, wing 205

” 195. Elements used in representing the halibut, Kwakiutl 206

” 196. Elements used in representing the wolf, Kwakiutl 206

” 197. Painting from bow of a canoe, representing the wolf,
Kwakiutl 207

” 198. Masks and dishes representing the wolf, Kwakiutl (_a-e_
from F. Boas, The Kwakiutl of Vancouver Island, Jesup
North Pacific Expedition, Vol. 5, Pls. 39, 42-44; _g_
British Museum; _h_ A. M. N. H. 16/384) 208

” 199. House post, Haida (From John R. Swanton, The Haida
Indians, Jesup North Pacific Expedition, Vol. V, fig. 10)
209

” 200. Designs from a set of gambling sticks. (From John R.
Swanton, _Ibid._ figs. 26-31) 210

” 201. Designs from a set of gambling sticks (_Ibid._) 211

” 202. Chilkat blanket (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat blanket,
fig. 546) 213

” 203. Chilkat blanket (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat blanket,
fig. 561) 213

” 204. Chilkat blanket (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat blanket,
fig. 563) 214

” 205. Chilkat blanket (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat blanket,
fig. 580) 215

” 206. Model of totem pole with three figures representing, from
below upward; sculpin, dog-fish, and sea-monster, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/550) 216

” 207. Mask representing the hawk, Tlingit (A. M. N. H.
E/1591) 217

” 208. Mask with painting symbolizing the flicker, Tlingit
(A. M. N. H. E/337) 217

” 209. Mask with eyebrows symbolizing the squid, Tlingit
(A. M, N. H. 19/920) 218

” 210. Mask with painting symbolizing the killer-whale, Tlingit
(A. M N. H. E/1629) 218

” 211. Fish-club representing the killer-whale, Tlingit,
(A. M. N. H. E/242) 219

” 212. Wood carving representing dorsal fin of the killer-whale,
Tlingit, (A. M. N. H. E/923) 219

” 213. Model of a totem pole representing a shark, Haida,
(A. M. N. H. 16/1167) 219

” 214. Speaker’s staff representing a shark, Tlingit (A. M. H. N.
19/790) 220

” 215. Berry spoon with designs representing the eagle (From
J. R. Swanton, The Haida Indians, Jesup North Pacific
Expedition, Vol. V, fig. 24 _a_, p. 148) 221

” 216. Halibut hook representing a beaver, Tlingit (A. M. N. H.
19/1152) 221

” 217. Part of totem pole representing a shark, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/1154) 221

” 218. Dancing-hat representing a killer-whale, Tsimshian
(A. M. N. H. 16/580) 221

” 219. Wooden hat with carving representing the sculpin
(A. M. N. H. 16/282) 221

” 220. Grease dish representing seal 222

” 221. Design on a bracelet representing a bear, Nass River
Indians (A. M. N. H. E/2428) 223

” 222. Painting representing bear, Haida 224

” 223. Painting from a house-front representing a bear,
Tsimshian 225

” 224. Wooden hat painted with the design of a sculpin, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/281) 225

” 225. Hat made of spruce roots painted with design of a beaver,
Haida or Tsimshian, (A. M. N. H. 16/692) 226

” 226. Tattooing representing a duck, Haida 226

” 227. Tattooing representing a raven, Haida 226

” 228. Dancing-apron woven of mountain-goat wool, design
representing a beaver, Tsimshian (A. M. N. H. 16/349) 227

” 229. Painted legging with design representing a beaver sitting
on a man’s head, Haida, (A. M. N. H. 16/330) 227

” 230. Gambling-leather with engraved design representing a
beaver, Tlingit (A. M. N. H. 19/1057) 228

” 231. Embroidered legging representing a sea-monster with a
bear’s head and body of the killer-whale, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/334) 228

” 232. Painting representing a dog-fish, Haida 229

” 233. Slate dish design representing a shark, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/603) 229

” 234. Painting on edge of a blanket representing a
killer-whale, Tlingit (A. M. N. H. E/1502) 230

” 235. Model of totem pole representing a sea-monster, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/544) 231

” 236. Model of totem pole representing a sculpin, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/1155) 231

” 237. Model of totem pole representing a sea-monster devouring
a fish, Haida (A. M. N. H.) 232

” 238. Slate carving representing the sea-monster Wasgo, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/687) 233

” 239. Tattooing representing the fabulous sea-monster
Ts’um’a´ks, Haida 233

” 240. Slate dish with design representing a killer-whale,
Haida (A. M. N. H. 16/605) 234

” 241. Drum painted with design of an eagle, Tsimshian
(A. M. N. H. 16/748) 234

” 242. Tattooing representing the moon, Haida 234

” 243. Carving on the end of a food tray representing a hawk,
Tlingit (A. M. N. H. E/1236) 234

” 244. Painting from a house-front representing thunder-bird,
Kwakiutl 236

” 245. Model of totem pole with design representing a
killer-whale, Haida (A. M. N. H. 16/1166) 237

” 246. Painting for a box front, design representing a frog,
Haida 238

” 247. Painting for a house-front with design representing a
killer-whale, Kwakiutl 238

” 248. Painting for a house-front with design representing a
killer-whale, Kwakiutl 239

” 249. Painting on a paddle representing porpoise and seal,
Kwakiutl 240

” 250. Painting for a house-front representing a raven,
Kwakiutl 241

” 251. Painting for a house-front representing a thunder-bird,
Kwakiutl 242

” 252. Painting for a house-front representing a whale,
Kwakiutl 243

” 253. Painting for a house-front representing a raven,
Kwakiutl, (1) lower jaw; (2) tongue; (3) chest; (4)
feet; (5) legs; (6) wings 244

” 254. Painting from the edge of a blanket representing a
sea-monster, Northern British Columbia (A. M. N. H.
16/355) 244

” 255. Design on a silver bracelet representing a beaver,
Haida (A. M. N. H. E/2462) 245

” 256. Design on a silver bracelet representing a sea-monster,
Haida (A. M. N. H. E/2461) 245

” 257. Design on a silver bracelet representing a hawk, Haida
(A. M. N. H. E/2463) 245

” 258. Slate dish with design representing a sea-monster, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/611) 246

” 259. Front of a slate box with design representing a
sea-monster, Haida (A. M. N. H. 16/687) 247

” 260. Slate slab with design representing a sea-monster, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/1149) 247

” 261. Design from the end of a food tray representing a shark,
Tlingit (A. M. N. H. 16/1187) 248

” 262. Slate dish with design representing a sculpin, Haida
(A. M. N. H. 16/882) 248

” 263. Front of a slate box with design representing a fish,
Haida (A. M. N. H. 16/687) 249

” 264. Body painting representing the bear, Kwakiutl 250

” 265. Body painting representing the frog, Kwakiutl 251

” 266. Design elements from Tlingit blankets (From G. T. Emmons,
The Chilkat Blanket, fig. 559, p. 366) 253

” 267. Schematic design showing the arrangement of the central
field of the Chilkat blanket 258

” 268. General plans of Tlingit blankets 258

” 269. Chilkat blankets (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat blanket,
fig. 548 _b_, fig. 560 _a_) 259

” 270. Chilkat blankets (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 560 _b_ and fig. 562 _b_) 260

” 271. Chilkat blankets, _a-b_, United States National Museum
(From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket, fig. 564) 261

” 272. Chilkat blanket (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 571, p. 381) 261

” 273. Chilkat blankets (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
figs. 570 _b_, p. 380, 572 _a_, p. 382) 262

” 274. Front, reverse and side of a painted box (From G. T.
Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket, fig. 551 _a_, p. 356, fig.
552, p. 357) 263

” 275. Painted and carved box front (From G. T. Emmons, The
Chilkat Blanket, fig. 551, p. 356) 264

” 276. Four sides of a painted box, Tlingit (A. M. N. H.
E/652) 264

” 277. Four sides of a painted box, Tlingit (A. M. N. H.
E/1579) 265

” 278. Front and side of a painted box (From G. T. Emmons, The
Chilkat Blanket, fig. 553 _d_, p. 358) 266

” 279. Front, reverse and side of a carved box (From G. T.
Emmons The Chilkat Blanket, fig. 553 _a_ and _b_ p. 358)
267

” 280. Carved boxes (From Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket, fig. 556,
_a_, _b_, p. 362) 268

” 281. Carved box, Tlingit (A. M. N. H. 19/1231) 269

” 282. Carved trays (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
figs. 556 _c-e_, and 557 _d_, pp. 362, 363) 270

” 283. Carved trays (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 557 _a-c_, _e_, _f_, p. 363, and A. M. N. H.
19/953) 272

” 284. Carved trays (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 554) 273

” 285. Designs on Tlingit armor (From photograph from specimens
in the Museum of the Academy of Sciences, Leningrad) 274

” 286. Painted tray (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 558 _a_, p. 364) 275

” 287. Painted boxes (From G. T. Emmons, The Chilkat Blanket,
fig. 558, _b-d_, p. 364) 276

” 288. Horn spoons showing carving on the back (A. M. N. H.).
_a_, 16/8799 representing sea-monster, _b_, 16/8791
representing the hawk, _c_, 16/8792 representing the
beaver (?), _d_, 16/8796 representing the raven, _e_,
16/8795 representing the killer-whale, _f_, 16/8798,
representing the raven, _g_, 16/8794 representing dlia
(?), _h_, 16/8793 representing the sun 277

” 289. Dish of horn of big-horn-sheep representing the bear
(Private Property) 278

” 290. Mask of Kwakiutl Indians used in winter ceremonial;
according to some representing fool dancer, according to
others The-One-Shining-Down (After L. Adam,
Nordwest-amerikanische Indianer Kunst, Pl. 19) 279

” 291. Ancient type of Kwakiutl box (A. M. N. H. 16/8117) 281

” 292. _a_, Food tray (A. M. N. H. 16/8215), _b_, Bucket
(16/2243), Kwakiutl 282

” 293. Small boxes (_a_, 16/2248, _b_, 16/8148), Kwakiutl 282

” 294. Combs (A. M. N. H. _a_, 16/2299, _b_, 16/8911, _c_,
16/8180, _d_, 16/8235), Kwakiutl 282

” 295. Bone club and sword (A. M. N. H. _a_, 16/8274, _b_,
16/971), Kwakiutl 282

” 296. Spindle whirls, Ethnographisches Museum, Berlin, Lower
Fraser River 283

” 297. Ladle made of big-horn-sheep horn, Columbia River 283

” 298. Clubs made of bone of whale. _a_, From Nootka, collected
by Captain Cook (British Museum, Cat. No. N. W. C. 42);
_b_, From Nootka (British Museum, Cat. No. N. W. C. 47);
_c_, From Columbia River (Oregon Historical Society, Cat.
No. 385, List 38); _d_, From Nootka, collected by Captain
Cook, 1778 (Ethnographical Museum, Florence); _e_, From
Barclay Sound, collected by Mr. A. Jacobsen (Museum für
Völkerkunde, Berlin, Cat. No. IV. A 1574); _f_, From
Nootka, collected by Captain Cook (British Museum, Cat.
No. N. W. C. 41); _g_, From shell-heap at Cadboro Bay
collected by Mr. J. Maynard (Provincial Museum, Victoria,
Cat. No. 769); _h_, From Neah Bay, collected by Hon.
James Wickersham (U. S. National Museum, Cat. No. 198032);
_i_, Collected by Vancouver (British Museum, Van. 93);
_j_, From Nootka (collection of Mr. W. Sparrow Simpson,
British Museum, Cat. No. 9383); _k_, From Upper Columbia
River, collected by Col. Brooks, U. S. A., about 1810,
property of Mr. M. F. Savage, New York (A. M. N. H. cast
No. 16/8578); _l_, British Museum, Cat. No. 78-11-1.623;
_m_, From Nootka (British Museum, Cat. No. 8766); _n_,
University Museum, Cambridge, Eng. Cat. No. R. D.
112 d 284

” 299. Clubs made of bone of whale. _a_, From Quamichan
Indians, collected by Dr. C. F. Newcombe (Field
Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Cat. No. 85348);
_b_, From shell-heap, Plumper’s Pass, collected by Mr.
Eduard Lomas (Provincial Museum, Victoria, Cat. No. 770);
_c_, From Neah Bay, collected by Hon. James Wickersham
(U. S. National Museum, Cat. No. 198033); _d_, From
Nuchatlath, collected by Mr. A. Jacobsen (Museum für
Völkerkunde, Berlin, Cat. No. IV A 1215); _e_, From
Hesquiath, collected by Mr. A. Jacobsen (Museum für
Völkerkunde, Berlin, Cat. No. IV A 1573); _f_, 16/2106
From Clayoquath, collected by Mr. Fillip Jacobsen;
_g_, 16/912 Bishop Collection from British Columbia;
_h_, 200/1471 Made of serpentine, from Blalock Island,
Wash., opposite Umatilla, Ore., collected by Mr. D. W.
Owen; _i_, From Cadboro Bay, collected by Mr. James
Deans (Provincial Museum, Victoria, Cat. No. 774);
_j_, From Fort Vancouver, Wash., about 1830 (Academy
of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia); _k_, From Neah Bay,
collected by Hon. James Wickersham (from cast in U. S.
National Museum, Cat. No. 198031); _l_, Peabody Academy
of Sciences, Salem, Mass., Cat. No. E. 6640; _m_, _n_,
From Nootka, collected by Capt. James Magee about 1794
(Peabody Museum, Cambridge, Mass., Cat. Nos. 256, 255);
_o_, From Neah Bay, collected by Hon. James Wickersham
(from cast in U. S. National Museum, Cat. No. 198030);
_p_, 16/855, From shell-heap at Cadboro Bay; _q_, 16/911
Bishop Collection; _r_, 16/1100 Excavated on Songish
Reservation 286

” 300. House posts, Lower Fraser River, from photograph by
Harlan I. Smith 288

” 301. Basket, Lower Chehalis (Private Property) 289

” 302. Designs on matting (A. M. N. H. _a_, 16/9990; _b_,
16/8222), Kwakiutl 289

” 303. Woven hat of spruce root, Kwakiutl (A. M. N. H.
16/9993) 290

” 304. Decorative designs from Tlingit basketry (From G. T.
Emmons, The Basketry of the Tlingit Indians) 291

” 305. Decorative designs from Tlingit basketry (From G. T.
Emmons, The Basketry of the Tlingit Indians) 293

” 306. _a_, Rawhide pouch, Salish or Chinook, collected by
Wilkes, 1840; _b_, Design from parfleche, Fort Colville,
Washington (United States National Museum, 2618 and 672)
296

” 307. Scraper of bone, Tahltan (Private Property) 297

” 308. Detail of imbricated basketry 297

EXPLANATION OF PLATES

Plate I. Basketry of Maidu (From Roland B. Dixon, Basketry Designs
of California, Bull. Am. Museum of Natural History,
Vol. 17). opp. p. 18

” II. Body Painting of an Andaman Islander (From Brown, The
Andaman Islanders) 32

” III. Melanesian House 34

” IV. Peruvian Textiles (From Charles W. Mead, Boas Anniversary
Volume, Pl. X) 46

” V. Kumiss Goblets of the Yakut (From W. Jochelson, Boas
Anniversary Volume, Pl. XXI) 54

” VI. Shaman’s Dress, Amur River (A. M. N. H.) 66

” VII. Woven Pouch, British Columbia (A. M. N. H.) 124

” VIII. Woven Blanket, New Zealand, United States National
Museum 182

” IX. Carved Figure, British Columbia, Linden Museum,
Stuttgart 184

” X. Chilkat Blanket, Ethnological Museum, Copenhagen 278

” XI. Cedarbark Blanket, British Columbia, British Museum 278

” XII. Blankets of Mountain-goat Wool, Bella Coola, British
Columbia 278

” XIII. House Post, near Eburne, Fraser River Delta, British
Columbia 288

” XIV. Tlingit Baskets (From G. T. Emmons, The Basketry of the
Tlingit Indians) 294

” XV. Imbricated Baskets from British Columbia and Washington 298

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface 1
Mental attitude of primitive people 1
Primitive culture, historical growth 4
The object of the investigation is a study of dynamic conditions
of art growth 7
Acknowledgments 8

I. Introduction 9
What is art? 9
Technical perfection in art 10
Emotional appeal of contents of art colors 12
Historical notations 13

II. The formal elements in art 17
Virtuosity 17
Regularity of form and virtuosity 19
Lack of virtuosity and artistic form 22
Lack of effect of artistic form 25
The plain, strong line and regular curve 31
Symmetry 32
Inverted symmetry 36
Rhythm 40
Marginal designs 55
Decoration of prominent places 60
Conclusion 62

III. Representative art 64
Representation and representative art 64
Primitive symbolic and realistic representation 69
Influence of technique upon style of representation 81

IV. Symbolism 88
Wide distribution of symbolic interpretation 88
Lack of stability of explanation 102
Lack of coherence in symbols 106
Design names 109
Studies in conventionalization 113
Geographical distribution of explanations of similar designs 118
Reading in of meanings 121
Development of geometrical form according to representative
tendencies 124
Stability of patterns of action as against instability of
interpretation 128
Change of type due to slovenly execution 130
Technical motives applying to representations 138
Effect of decorative field 141
Effect of symbolic methods of representation 143

V. Style 144
The problem of style 144
Motor habits and form 145
Concentration of forms 148
Transfer of forms in new materials 150
Technical determination of form 153
Individuality of style 153
The artist in his cultural setting 155
Control of style over invention 156
Formal elements of style 161
Dissemination of art forms and local developments 161
Diversity of style in the same tribe and community 180

VI. The art of the Northwest coast of North America 183
Symbolic representations of animal forms 186
The beaver 186
The sculpin 188
The hawk and the eagle 190
The dragon-fly 192
The killer-whale 194
The bear 197
The sea-monster 198
The frog 198
The shark 198
Summary of symbols 202
Minor symbols are not strictly normative 207
The wolf; variations of form in representations of same animal 213
Variations in interpretation 214
Use of fragmentary symbols 216
Adaptation of animal forms to the decorative field 218
Formal elements in animal representations 221
Design arrangement on Chilkat blankets 257
Design arrangement on boxes 262
Design arrangement on food trays 270
Design arrangement on square boxes 275
Geometrical elements 279
Older art styles of the Gulf of Georgia 284
Realistic representations 285
Geometrical designs in basketry 289
Art of neighboring tribes 294

VII. Primitive literature, music, and dance 299
General occurrence of literature, music, and dance 299
Relation between song, music, and dance 303
Primitive prose 303
Rhythm 310
Emphasis 317
Symmetry 320
Metaphor 320
Poetic description 325
Local culture reflected in literary form 327
Symbolic meaning of narrative 337
Different literary styles are found in the same tribe 337
Distribution of literary forms 338
Music 340
Dance 344
Conclusion 349

Text figures 357

Explanation of plates 373

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs
and outside quotations. In versions of this eBook that support
hyperlinks, the page references in the List of Illustrations lead to
the corresponding illustrations.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the
text and consultation of external sources.

Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a
predominant preference was found in the original book.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

Pg 86: “underly” replaced by “underlie”
95: “Arapho” replaced by “Arapaho”
96: “rater” replaced by “rather”
96: “Arapho” replaced by “Arapaho”
98: “cocanut” replaced by “coconut”
103: “Arapho” replaced by “Arapaho”
106: “Arapho” replaced by “Arapaho”
131: “Oxaca” replaced by “Oaxaca”
147: “Czekanowsky” replaced by “Czekanowski”
163: “Wahpaton” replaced by “Wahpeton”
199: “sourmounted” replaced by “surmounted”
204: “brings” replaced by “beings”
223: “twowhile” replaced by “two whole”
243: “then” replaced by “than”
294: “wo” replaced by “so”
335: “woes” replaced by “woos”
336: “feasts” replaced by “feast”
341: “timber” replaced by “timbre”
345: “tapfrer” replaced by “tapfer”
364: “Wahpaton” replaced by “Wahpeton”