![]() Synthetic blue dyes were introduced to the market at the turn of the twentieth century, following the isolation of indigotin by Adolf van Baeyer in 1897.įoreign presence in the Northwest Coast brought with it foreign aesthetics and markets along with the introduction of trade materials, like dyes or dye-products. Blue-dyed blankets (most likely from indigo) were traded with indigenous people, and later the dye was rendered from them through boiling. Blue was first introduced by woolen material carried by travelers, mainly blankets, in the early nineteenth century. Various shades of green were derived from copper minerals in combination with a native moss. Historically, the color blue was not in use as a dye, as the method for producing blue was not possible through natural sources on the Northwest Coast. The personification of knowledge is carved as tongues extending from the mouth of one being to another. Raven rattles, ritual clan objects employed for various uses by their owners, depict the story of the Raven who stole light-symbolic of knowledge-and brought it to humans. These newly introduced innovations affected textile preparation, as well as pigments used for adornment on carved, three-dimensional objects-of particular interest is the raven rattle illustrated here ( 89.4.611). The presence of foreigners on the Northwest Coast, primarily Russian, in the eighteenth century contributed greatly to the traditional use of color and dyeing methods. ![]() The resources and trade that were available throughout the continent made it less pressing to reach the west coast, albeit a perceived destination for many explorers. Until the eighteenth century, European presence in the Pacific Northwest was erratic at best. A typical palette includes red, black, and some variant of green or blue. Often, pigmentation defines, or in some cases embellishes, sculptural figuration. When applied to three-dimensional artwork, the aforementioned elements are aligned with the surface contours of a given object. These three specific design elements are combined to define anatomical features, as well as ornament the outlying space. Elements common to both include “ovoid,” “U-form,” and “form-line” figures that constitute the majority of a given work. Similar principles govern two- and three-dimensional art of the Northwest Coast. Traditional three-dimensional art of the indigenous people of the Northwest Coast can be characterized as highly sculptural, including relief and sculpture in the round, with geometrically stylized totemic-memorial-symbols integrated into the composition of the piece ( ). Often, a physical representation of a shaman’s spirit guide is carved in the form of a rattle or whistle, as an effigy used to invoke the spirit’s power. Many of the musical instruments used on the Northwest Coast can be associated with shamanic practice. Aside from use within the potlatch setting, drums are employed by shamans-powerful individuals who have the ability to move in the liminal space between this world and others, communicating with spirit guides. For example, a tremolo created by rapidly striking the drumhead can be perceived as an audible manifestation of a spirit being’s presence. ![]() Some indigenous people of the Northwest Coast utilize the drum to indicate the presence of spirits. As in other regions, the drum is used to begin and to mark certain points within a song. The use of a single drum was traditionally isolated to a few groups, such as the Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl), who are known to have used a single wooden plank struck by multiple players. Rather, drummers are known to congregate and play individual hand drums together. Cultural taboos surrounding the ownership of songs and dances have remained intact into the twenty-first century, albeit with some leniency to accommodate for varying degrees of observance of traditional lifeways.Ī customary element to the music of the Northwest Coast is the beat of the drum however, unlike the use of drums on the Great Plains, the concept of communal drumming on a single large instrument is not typical in the Pacific Northwest. Typically, the sound of whistles is associated with the presence of spirit beings. ![]() Proprietary songs and dances are punctuated by extra-musical effects provided by whistles, rattles, and specific vocal utterances ( ). The transmission of honor associated with these events is traditionally marked by ceremonial dances accompanied by songs. Potlatches serve as opportunities to aid in maintaining social order by regulating the ownership of land, title, ancestral names, and music, as well as to observe life cycle changes-birth, puberty, marriage, and death. The music of the indigenous people of the Northwest Coast is largely associated with ceremony and feast-giveaways, known as potlatches. ![]()
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