TSIMSHIAN CHILKAT BLANKET ART

Chilkat blankets, originating with the Tsimshian and crafted by Tlingit and other Northwest Coast peoples, are woven from mountain-goat wool and cedar bark in bold forms representing clan crests (eagles, orcas, bears) in black, yellow, turquoise, and white. Worn by chiefs in dances, this intricate warp-twining art is an inclusive Pacific Northwest heritage, a status symbol of wealth, and a triumph of geometric and spiritual design.