Indigenous art by Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza. 3" wide and casted in sterling silver from an original carving. Chilkat ancestor design.
Chilkat blankets are one of the blanket styles that originated in the northwest coast. They are characterized by yellow, green, blue and black colours. They were originally woven by hand from cedar bark and mountain goat wool. Today they’re made the same way although some people substitute sheep’s wool for goat. It takes about a year to make one and they’re very expensive. They are worn as shawls or aprons in dances and ceremonies.
These are five sided blankets with a fringe hanging down from the sides and bottom. The blanket itself has yellow and black border lines enclosing a large number of rectangular and ovoid designs which represent elements of ancestors and family crests.