Gift of an Anonymous Donor.

Museum Purchase: Caroline Ladd Pratt Fund.

FROM CARD: "SECTION INCLUDING ALL LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT AND PART OF LEFT QUADRANT MISSING; HOWEVER DESIGN CAN BE DETERMINED WITH REASONABLE ACCURACY FROM EXISTING PIECE. LINEAR BORDER SURROUNDING OUTSIDE OF ALTERNATE RED AND SIZE MARKING PARALLEL LINES; EXTENSION INTO HEAD AREA OF PARALLEL LINES OF SIMILAR CHARACTER. LARGE CENTER AREA DIVIDED INTO QUADRANTS BY INTERSECTING BANDS OF RED LINES AND SIZE MARKINGS. WITHIN EACH QUADRANT IS COMPLEX MOTIVE CONSISTING OF A CIRCLE ('SUN SYMBOL'?) ELABORATED WITH DOUBLE CURVES; (EACH QUADRANT IS BILATERALLY SYMMETRICAL ON LONG AXIS). THE ENTIRE PAINTED DESIGN COULD ACCURATELY BE REPRODUCED IN A COLOR PAINTING FROM THE EXISTING FRAGMENT. THE PAINTED DESIGN MORE CLOSELY APPROXIMATES NASKAPI STYLE THAN PLAINS INDIAN PAINTING. PROBABLY FROM THE NORTHERN WOODLANDS - GREAT LAKES AREA - JOHN C. EWERS, JAN. 16, 1948." Artifact is illus. Fig. 2, p. 61 in "Ceremonial Robes of the Montagnais-Naskapi" by Alika Podolinsky Webber, American Indian Art Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 1, Winter 1983, and identified there as "Ceremonial robe fragment. Naskapi [Innu] ... Native tanned unsmoked caribou skin. 100.5 cm long, 63 cm wide. The large center area is divided into quadrants by intersecting bands of red lines and size markings. Within each quadrant is a complex motif consisting of a circle elaborated with double curves; and the circle itself is divided into four equal sections forming a cross." Possible meanings of the design are also discussed on pp. 67-68 in the same article.

Watercolour and ink painting of Guanyin, Mahayana Buddhist goddess of mercy, with two attendants, produced for the lunar New Year. The painting is adhered to a long scroll of heavy paper covered with white silk, attached to a wood scroll bar. A brown riibbon is attached to the top of the scroll. Image shows Guanyin seated, dressed in white and black robes with an intricate copper, green, and white crown on her head, and holding in her left hand a blue vase containing a single frond of bamboo. Beneath her is the yellow and green head of a lion. To her lower right is a standing robed figure looking away from the goddess, while to the left is a partially clothed figure with hands clasped and lifted toward her.

Watercolour and ink painting of Zhongkui, king of ghosts in Chinese folklore, produced for the lunar New Year. The painting is adhered to a long scroll of heavy paper covered with white silk, attached to a wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached at top. The image shows Zhongkui holding a staff or sword, with a black tiger to his right, its tail wraped around to the left. Two attendants stand behind either shoulder. Zhongkui wears a grey and black belted robe, and an elaborate headdress.

Watercolour and ink painting of a Chinese medicine deity, produced for the lunar New Year. The painting is adhered to a long scroll of heavy paper covered with white silk, attached to a wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached at top. The image shows the god seated on the back of a yellow tiger, holding a needle in one hand and grasping the beard of a gold and green dragon flying overhead with the other. Two attendants stand to either side of the god at his elbows, one holding a bottle, the other a box. All figures wear long, grey, belted robes.

Watercolour and ink painting of Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, produced for the lunar New Year. The painting is adhered to a long scroll of heavy paper covered with white silk, attached to a wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached at top. The image shows Lao Tzu riding a blue ox, who's head is wrapped around his master's leg on the right. A circle with geometric linear patterns surrounds the philosopher's head. In front of him sits an incense burner on a short pedestal, with two attendants standing to the sides. One holds a sheathed sword, the other a group of feathers.

Watercolour and ink painting of Guanyin, Buddhist goddess of mercy, produced for the lunar New Year. The painting is adhered, below the midpoint, to a long scroll of heavy paper covered in silk and attached to a black wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached to the top of the scroll. Image shows Guanyin dressed in white, grey and blue robes, an intricate copper and green crown on her head, seated on a blue lion with flowing yellow hair. Behind the goddess are two circles containing geomentric linear patterns, accented with yellow and blue.

Watercolour and ink painting of Guanyin, Buddhist goddess of mercy, produced for the lunar New Year. The image shows Guanyin dressed in black and grey robes, with a gold headdress and elaborate necklace. She sits on the head of an elephant, reading a small book, in front of circles filled with geometiric linear patterns and blue and gold colouring. The painting is adhered to a long scroll of heavy paper covered in silk and attached to a black wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached to the top of the scroll.

Watercolour and ink painting of Guanyin, Buddhist goddess of mercy, produced for the lunar New Year. The image shows Guanyin dressed in white and grey robes, with a white and gold crown and elaborate gold necklace. She sits cross-legged above brown and green vines, and in front of circles filled with geometiric linear patterns and blue and gold colouring. The painting is adhered, below the midpoint, to a long scroll of heavy paper covered in silk and attached to a black wood scroll bar. A brown ribbon is attached to the top of the scroll.