yayaxwsam (Chilkat Apron)

Chilkat textiles were originally made by northern Tlingit people, and traded down the coast to be worn on ceremonial occasions by Haida, Tsimshian and Kwakwaka'wakw chiefs. Chilkat robes were symbols of wealth: to own them endowed a chief with great prestige. Even greater prestige resulted from giving them away in potlatch. If there was no chief attending of high enough rank to receive it, the blanket might be cut into strips and distributed to a number of persons of prestige. These strips would be made into other ceremonial garments, such as shirts, aprons, leggings, headdresses, or bags. Aprons were also woven on looms, and may have been one of the earliest products of these looms. However, greater prestige rested in ownership of a dancing blanket.

Abaya Martin joined Mungo Martin at the UBC Museum in 1951, where she produced 2 Chilkat aprons for the collection.

Emblems or crests distinguish different social groups (lineages, phratries, or moieties) and symbolize their privileges. They can be shown on any material possessions, such as totem poles or robes, and each group owns the right to display specific crests. Within each group, families or individuals have the right to show the general crests is specific ways.

The design is first painted onto a pattern board by a man, then precisely copied in weaving by a woman. The style operated within strict conventions, but at the same time permitting subtle individual variations and originality. The weaving technique evolved from the craft of finger twining yellow cedar bark blankets. For the blankets, bark may still form the core of the warp strands. The loom is a single beam loom which consists of two upright posts, and a broad crossbeam from which the warp hangs freely. The warp ends are divided into sections and inserted into bags to keep the warps clean and untangled during twining. Weaving proceeds from top to bottom of the blanket, and extra warps are added when the design field is completed, in order to produce the curved border at the bottom.

Twined apron in chilkat style with curved bottom edge and handspun fringe attached to three sides. The two bottom corners have a twined rectangle on the fringe in light blue wool, associated with the identity of the weaver. The main crest design consists of abstract and animal motifs twined in commercial woolen yarn over a cedar bark (?) warp. Two apron strings made from plaited black woolen yarn are attached along the top edge.