Blanket

20.1.81.55

Information

Pentagonal woven cloak with abstract designs in black and a long fringe, the warp made from the hair of the mountain goat and the weft from cedar bark. The design may represent the wings, eyes and body elements of three birds, spread out to fill the space of the robe. Tlingit, Tshimshian and Haida peoples associated Chilkat robes with prestige and power. Only high status individuals could commission or buy them. A skilled weaver took about a year to produce one robe, from the gathering of mountain goat wool and cedar bark to the weaving of the garments formal crests.