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4. The Decorative Art of the Indians of the North Pacific Coast

This is a detailed analysis of Northwest Coast art style, based on what Boas hypothesizes is the artist’s need both to depict an identifiable animal and to adjust its shape to the form of the object or surface on which it appears. After presenting the identifying characteristics of the various animals that constitute the subject matter of Northwest Coast art, Boas illustrates how the process of representing these animals on the different types of artworks can result in considerable distortion and abstraction.

It has been shown that the motives of the decorative art of many peoples developed largely from representations of animals. In course of time, forms that were originally realistic became more and more sketchy, and more and more distorted. Details, even large portions, of the subject so represented, were omitted, until finally the design attained a purely geometric character.

The decorative art of the Indians of the North Pacific coast agrees with this oft-observed phenomenon in that its subjects are almost exclusively animals. It differs from other arts in that the process of conventionalizing has not led to the development of geometric designs, but that the parts of the animal body may still be recognized as such. The body of the animal, however, undergoes very fundamental changes in the arrangement and size of its parts. In the following paper I shall describe the characteristics of these changes, and discuss the mental attitude of the artist which led to their development.

In treating this subject, we must bear in mind that almost all the plastic art of the Indians of the North Pacific coast is decorative art. While some primitive people—for instance, the Eskimo—produce carvings which serve no practical ends, but are purely works of art, all the works of the Indian artists of the region which we are considering serve at the same time a useful end; that is to say, the form of the object is given, and the subject to be represented is more or less subordinate to the object on which it is shown. Only in the cases of single totemic figures is the artist free to mold his subject without regard to such considerations; but, owing to the large size of such figures, he is limited by the cylindrical form of the trunk of the tree from which he carves his figures. We may therefore say that the native artist is in almost all his works limited by the shape of the object on which he represents his subject.

The plastic arts of the Indians are carving and painting, in which latter we may include tattooing and weaving. Carving is done mostly in wood, but also in stone and horn. It is either in the round, in bas-relief, or, although more rarely, in high relief. There is no art of pottery.

The artists have acquired a high technique, which proves that realistic representations of animals are not beyond their powers. The following are a few exquisite examples of realistic carvings. The helmet (Fig. 1) is decorated with the head of an old man affected with partial paralysis. Undoubtedly this specimen must be considered a portrait head. Nose, eyes, mouth, and the general expression, are highly characteristic. The mask (Fig. 2) represents a dying warrior. The artist has represented faithfully the wide lower jaw, the pentagonal face, and the strong nose of the Indian. The relaxing muscles of the mouth and tongue, the drooping eyelids, and the motionless eyeballs, mark the agonies of death. The conception is so realistic that the mask creates a ghastly impression. Fig. 3 represents a dancing hat decorated with the design of a seal. Fig. 4 is a small float representing a swimming puffin. Fig. 5 is a rattle in the form of a swimming goose. The characteristic bend of its neck and the characteristic color of head and neck are very true to nature.

In these cases the artist has rendered the form of his model faithfully. The object on which the representation of his model was placed allowed him the use of the figure without any alteration. This is not often the case. Generally the object to be decorated has a certain given form to which the decoration must be subordinated, and the artist is confronted with the problem of how to adjust his subject to the form of the object to be decorated.

Before attempting an explanation of the method adopted by the artist in the solution of this problem, we must treat another aspect of our subject. We must premise that in consequence of the adaptation of the form to the decorative field, the native artist cannot attempt a realistic representation of his subject, but is often compelled to indicate only its main characteristics. In consequence of the distortion of the animal body, due to its adaptation to various surfaces, it would be all but impossible to recognize what animal is meant, if the artist did not emphasize what he considers the characteristic features of animals. These are so essential to his mind that he considers no representation adequate in which they are missing. In many cases they become the symbols of the animal. We find, therefore, that each animal is characterized by certain symbols, and great latitude is allowed in the treatment of all features other than symbols.

I will illustrate this feature of the art of the Indians of the North Pacific coast by means of a number of characteristic examples.

FIG. 1 (E/3453). Helmet with carving representing a paralytic man. Tribe, Tlingit. Height, 21.5 cm; width, 28 cm; depth, 28 cm.

FIG. 2 (E/2501). Mask representing a dying warrior. Tribe, Tlingit. Height, 24 cm; width, 19 cm; depth, 11 cm.

FIG. 3 (E/434). Dancing hat representing a seal. Tribe, Tlingit. Height, 21 cm; width, 24 cm; depth, 23 cm.

FIG. 4 (E/1001). Small float representing a swimming puffin. Tribe, Tlingit. Length, 6 cm.

FIG. 5 (16/300). Rattle representing a goose. Tribe, Haida. Length, 30 cm.

Fig. 6 is a figure from a totem pole, which represents the beaver. It will be noticed that the face is treated somewhat like a human face, particularly the region around eyes and nose. The position of the ears, however, indicates that the artist intended to represent an animal head, not a human head. While the human ear is represented, in its characteristic form, on a level with the eye (Figs. 26 and 28), animal ears are indicated over the forehead; that is to say, approximately in the position in which they appear in a front view of the animal. Their characteristic shape may be seen in Figs. 6 and 7, and in many others. While the ears characterize the head as that of an animal, the two large incisors serve to identify the rodent par excellence—the beaver. The tail of the animal is turned up in front of its body. It is ornamented by cross-hatching, which is intended to represent the scales on the beaver’s tail. In its forepaws it holds a stick. The large incisors, the tail with cross-hatching, and the stick, are symbols of the beaver, and each of these is a sufficient characteristic of the animal.

Fig. 7 is another representation of a beaver from a totem pole. It resembles Fig. 6 in all details, except that the stick its missing. The beaver is simply holding its forepaws raised nearly to its chin. There are other carvings in which the beaver is shown with four or five toes, but the symbols described here never vary.

In Fig. 8, which is the handle of a spoon, we find only the first of the symbols of the beaver represented, namely, its incisors. Only the head and the forepaws of the animal are shown; and in its mouth are indicated an upper and a lower pair of incisors, all the other teeth being omitted. There is nothing except the teeth to indicate that the artist intended to represent the beaver.

Fig. 9 is the front of a dancing headdress, which is attached to a framework made of whalebone, and set on top with bristles of the sea lion. To the back is attached a long train of ermine skins. The outer side of the carved front is set with abalone shells. The squatting figure which occupies the center of the front represents the beaver. The same symbols which were mentioned before will be recognized here. The face is human; but the ears, which rise over the eyebrows, indicate that an animal is meant. Two large pairs of incisors occupy the center of the open mouth. The tail is turned up in front of the body, and appears between the two hind legs, indicated by cross-hatching. The forepaws are raised to the height of the mouth, but they do not hold a stick. It will be noticed that on the chest of the beaver another head is represented, over which a number of small rings stretch toward the chin of the beaver. Two feet, which belong to this animal, extend from the corners of its mouth toward the haunches of the beaver. This animal represents the dragonfly, which is symbolized by a large head and a slender segmented body. In many representations of the dragonfly there are two pairs of wings attached to the head. The face of this animal resembles also a human face; but the two ears, which rise over the eyebrows, indicate that an animal is meant. Combinations of two animals of this sort are found very frequently, a smaller figure of one animal being represented on the chest of a larger carving. Examples of this kind will be seen in Figs. 13 and 17.

FIG. 6 (16/556). Lowest figure from model of a totem pole, carved in slate, representing a beaver. Tribe, Haida. Height, 22.5 cm.

FIG. 7 (16/551). Lowest figure from model of a totem pole, carved in slate, representing a beaver. Tribe, Haida. Height, 19 cm.

FIG. 8 (19/1129). Handle of a spoon made of mountain-goat horn, design representing a beaver. Tribe, Tlingit. Length of handle, 8 cm.

Fig. 10 is a halibut hook, the point of which is carved with a design of the sculpin. The symbols of the fish are fins and tail. Those of this species of fish are two spines rising over its mouth, and joined dorsal fins. In this figure the sculpin is represented swallowing a fish, the tail of which protrudes from its mouth. The two spines appear immediately over the lips, their points being between the two eyes, which are represented by two circles with small projections. The two pectoral fins are indicated in bas-relief over the eyes. The joined dorsal fins extend from the eyes upward toward the narrowest part of the body. The tail of the animal extends toward the place where point and shank of the hook are bound together by means of a strip of spruce root.

FIG. 9 (16/245). Headdress representing a beaver. The dragonfly is shown on the chest of the beaver. Tribe, Haida. Height, 18 cm.

FIG. 10 (E/1251). Halibut hook with design representing a sculpin swallowing a fish. Tribe, Tlingit. Length of point, 26.5 cm.

FIG. 11 (16/567). Part of a totem pole with design representing a sculpin. Tribe, Tsimshian. Height from base to tip of tail, 220 cm.

The same animal is represented in a slightly different way in Fig. 11, which represents the lower portion of a totem pole. The lowest figure is probably the sun, or perhaps a starfish. Its arms extend upward, and are being bitten by a sculpin, which later is shown with its head downward, its back forward, and its tail extending upward. The head will be easily recognized. Two crescent-shaped ornaments above the corners of the mouth represent the gills of the fish. Above these are seen the pectoral fins. On the level of the pectoral fins toward the middle appear the symbols of the sculpin, namely, the two spines, the lower portions of which are decorated with small human faces. The eye is represented under the spine. The dorsal fin commences at the height of the eyes, and finally merges into the tail. The tail end of the fish is clasped by a human figure, which appears cut in two by the fish tail. This carving is also characterized by two symbols—the two spines and the joined dorsal fins.

FIG. 12 (16/328). Woollen legging with an appliqué design representing a sculpin. Tribe, Haida. Length, 28.5 cm; greatest width, 31 cm, 38 cm with fringes.