Weaving a whale, a Chilkat robe

A conversation between Dorica Jackson and Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank in front of Dorica Jackson, Diving Whale Chilkat Robe, 2002-18, design from The Basketry of the Tlingit and the Chilkat Blanket by George Emmons, Merino wool and yellow cedar bark (Totem Heritage Center, Ketchikan, Alaska)

[@singing-sands]

So wonderful to have the artist right there to explain her process and thoughts on achieving her masterpieces!

[@paillette2010]

I am LIVING for you Tlingit content!!!

[@collin8428]

Holy Smokes what a fantastic video! Imagine how beautiful and exciting these pieces of art would appear during a dance!

[@Nah_Bohdi]

Neat!

[@Sasha0927]

"Chillkat" is a cool name. I'm sure there were many super cool Black blues players who had that nickname too, lol.
The fringe is so tempting. I'd be playing with it all the time if I had access to this.
"There's lots of eyes on these things." 😂 No kidding! The eyes on the body threw me off - the breakdown of the whale's body was so surprising.
I like distributive and configurative design! Both have their place and are lovely. 🥰
🫨 The amount of time these take to make is incredible! They're beautiful and worthwhile, but that's an amazing amount of commitment to produce one object. My Jamaican genes won't allow for that kind of patience. Things need to be done yesterday, lol.
I can only imagine them worn during dance... Magnificent.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Your "Chi(l)lkat" made me laugh. These are absolutely magnificent and we agree regarding the level of commitment required to produce even one robe.

[@Sasha0927]

@@smarthistory-art-history LOL. I did throw an extra L in there - must've seen what I wanted to. 😂 I'm glad you got a laugh out of it. ❤️
I'm always impressed by people who immerse themselves in things with wholehearted devotion and patience. I still want to find my thing.