NOTES
An assemblage of organic and geometric shapes joins to form a unified, symmetrical composition. Representational imagery at center, including human faces, bird heads in profile, and flippers, gives way to increasingly abstract patterns on each side. A sinuous black line unites this collection of designs and creates a lively sense of movement.
At feasts along the coast of northern British Columbia and southeastern Alaska Indigenous peoples wear woven blankets, such as this, and other finery. These garments often depict crests—an animal, person, object, or atmospheric event associated with a wearer’s ancestors. When wearing regalia bearing crest imagery, dancers showcase and inhabit these powerful affiliations.
