Chilkat blankets were the ultimate prestige objects on the Pacific Northwest Coast, being expensive and made of rare materials. Both men and women wore the blankets over the shoulder during dances and ceremonies.
Story
This blanket was made sometime between 1850 and 1885 by the Chilkat, a northern Tlingit tribe in Alaska. Chilkat blankets are prestige objects worn over the shoulder by men and women during dances and ceremonies on the Northwest Coast.
Designs spun in cedar bark and Mountain Goat wool represent the crest of the owner, which usually incorporates motifs symbolizing eyes and feathers. Our blanket represents a rare survival of a form that was first collected in the mid-18th century when voyages of exploration passed along the Northwest Coast.
Susan Milbrath
Curator, Latin American Art and Archaeology
Florida Museum of Natural History
Summary
Chilkat Blanket
Made by Tlingit people, Alaska
Dates to ~1850–1885
Exhibit Area
Theme
Beautiful Artistry