Painted wooded pattern board for weaving a Chilkat style robe. The panel is somewhat rectangular except for the bottom right corner which is cut off at an angle. There is a rectangular human-like face at the centre front, above which is an eye form containing a frog face. Below the rectangular form are two inverted eye forms, to the right of which is a foot with claws. Above, are two more eye forms. At the midpoint of the side edge is a rectangular profile human-like face looking inwards towards the centre. Back is undecorated.

« The collection contains a set of four birch bark cut-out patterns of floral motifs (fig. 13) used on one of the illustrated covered baskets (fig. 12). Another set of nine patterns, which includes human forms, a fish, a canoe, and floral stencils, is described by Speck as having been used for bead and silk work (fig. 14). However, one of the patterns, that of a fish, was used on a previously described comb case (fig. 91). Speck (1935, pp. 190-191) has noted that for the Montagnais, the symbolic pictorial representation of a plant or animal was equivalent to the actual plant or animal and those portrayed were believed to come under the control of the individual human spirit. Dreams played a major part in suggesting the relationship between specific animals or plants and an individual. The spirit was strengthened by having its dream promptings obeyed and success in subsistence activities was thereby assured. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.10, fig 14 (p.42).

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Gift of Richard H. Clarke

Museum Purchase: Indian Collection Subscription Fund, Rasmussen Collection of Northwest Coast Indian Art.