The Chilkat Dancing Blanket

The Chilkat Dancing Blanket is the life story of a magnificent woven robe which graced the shoulders of Indian nobility from Yakutat, Alaska to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. From the legendary origins of this weaving, the story unfolds to tell of the women who wove it, of the source and inspiration for the designs which adorn it, and of the pride and esteem in which it was held by the society which gave it birth. The Dancing Blanket was a robe reserved for ceremony. The remarkable photographs of Tony Hunt performing the Headdress Dance afford a rare opportunity to see this blanket in its full glory, alive and dancing.

The story does not stop with an overview of the Dancing Blanket, but delves into the mysteries of its creation. Mountain goat wool and cedar bark were spun and dyed and then woven into intricate, stylized designs. In this magnificently illustrated text, author Cheryl Samuel presents a detailed description of the weaving techniques which were perfected by the Tlingit women. Photographs of Dancing Blankets from many museum collections and of weavings in progress are knitted together with beautiful drawings in order to illustrate this complicated process. The Chilkat Dancing Blanket interweaves legend, history, and technique and is presented in honor of the women who created this exquisite art form.