Chilkat Robes & Weavings

"Jennie Weaves An Apprentice"
Chilkat Robe

Private Collection, Los Angeles, CA
Merino wool, cedarbark, fur, leather

©2011 Clarissa Rizal

Although this was Clarissa's first Chilkat robe she began to design directly after Jennie Thlunaut passed away in 1986, Clarissa did not actually begin weaving this robe until 2008. During the course of weaving this robe over this 3-year period, Clarissa's life took many turns which included the caretaking and eventual passing of her father, a 36-year relationship turning into a divorce, moving from her beloved home and studio, assisting with the caretaking of her elderly mother, and the pending death of her eldest brother.

"Jennie Weaves An Apprentice" documents the story of Jennie Thlunaut taking Clarissa as her apprentice to learn the intricate, complex weaving techniques of Chilkat. The story also reflects Clarissa's responsibility in passing this tradition of teaching Chilkat weaving to the next generations. The design is the first of a series of robes Clarissa has designed called "a Chilkat robe within a Chilkat robe."

"Copper Child"

Ravenstail ensemble

A collaboration by Lily Hudson & Clarissa Rizal

Collection of the Artists
4-piece Ravenstail Ceremonial Regalia: includes robe,tunic, apron, & headdress Merino wool, cedarbark, ermine, copper cones and small copper T’naa, leather

©2009 Lily Hudson & Clarissa Rizal

Copper Child is the offspring of Copper Woman (2001) and Copper Man (2006) designed and woven by Clarissa Rizal. Copper Child is a collaboration of daughter and mother. Copper Child's headdress, apron and robe were designed and woven by Lily; the tunic was woven by Clarissa.

Lily Hudson: "In 1996, I learned to weave Ravenstail from my mother, Clarissa Rizal. I made one pair of Lightning Leggings and stopped weaving until 2004 when I took Delores Churchill's basketry class. Delores wove personal stories into her instruction and I couldn't get enough. Weaving with wool and cedar brightens my life. Since Delores' class I completed Copper Child with my mother in 2009. The "Shaman's Eyes" design across the headdress, aprona nd robe is an original design that I created, and the border of the robe holds many mountains with one in green symblizing healing perspectives offered by our next generations. I will teach weaving as Delores does, entwined with stories from my Tlingit people. If I can teach one person who hungers for the whole story like I do, and delights in dancing her fingers through warp, the Tlingit and Haida cultures and art will live on in perpetuity.

Copper Child shares the story of our upcoming generation of healers scaling mountains for inspiration, while embracing traditions and carving new paths. The healers are sumbolized by the black "Shaman's Eyes" (an original design by Lily) along the top, mountains represented by eight topographical maps, and new paths by the single green map."

Copper Child won 1st Place at the Sealaska Heritage Institute's Juried Art Show in 2010.

"Copper Woman"

Chilkat & Ravenstail 5-piece ensemble

Collection of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska
Wool, cedar bark, copper thread, copper cones, abalone shell, ermine skins. leather, Copper chain. ©2002 Clarissa Rizal

This dance regalia was inspired by a range of international influences: the Hawaiian dancers (long "hula" fringe on the dance apron), the Seminole Indian women's capelets, and the dreadlocks" worn by the Jamaican people. I drew up the initial sketch for this dance regalia in 1992. In between all my other commitments, family and projects, this entire Chilkat and Ravenstail ensemble was 10 years in the making, finally completed in 2002.

"Copper Woman" won the Best of Show award at both the 2001 Indian Market at the Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizona, and at the first Sealaska Juried Art Show in 2002. In 2003, "Copper Woman" became the collection of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

"Copper Man"

Private Collection, Mercer Island, WA
6-piece Ravenstail & Chilkat Ceremonial Regalia: includes robe, apron, headdress, leggings & octopus bag. Merino wool, cedarbark, ermine, copper cones and small copper T’naa, leather, cotton fabric. ©2006 Clarissa Rizal

“Copper Man” is the mate to “Copper Woman”. All six of the Copper Man regalia pieces are Ravenstail weavings with the exception of the leggings with the upper half being Chilkat and the bottom half Ravenstail. Copper cones trim all the fringe.

Copper Man’s robe is called “The Lyme’s Disease” robe because it was designed and woven during my personal episode with battling the disease. There are a few “mistakes” I hadn’t noticed until weeks later; I decided to leave the mistakes in the robe to remind me of a time in my life where I was “out of it” and then took my own initiative and responsibility to heal myself of a debilitating disease.

The dance apron is backed with leather and the bottom border is trimmed with small, hand-stamped, copper T’naa. The leggings are woven in the shape of a copper T’naa, lined with fringed leather and trimmed with black mink fur. I wove the headdress during the round trip flight to Hawaii/Colorado; it is lined with cotton, trimmed in black velvet and three small copper T’naa on the forehead.

In February 2006, I wove the main body of the octopus bag while traveling to, and attending, Agnes’ Bellinger’s memorial service and funeral; the octopus bag is lined with cotton, has eight legs and two round eyes. The black leather strap and the bag opening are trimmed with copper chain.

"Copper Man" won Best of Show at the Sealaska Heritage Institute's Juried Art Show in 2006.

"Raven" Chilkat Robe

Private Collection, Seattle, WA
Handspun Merino wool, cedarbark, hand-dyed wool yarns

©2002 Clarissa Rizal

Anne Gould-Hauberg's Chilkat Robe

Handspun wool and cedar bark, hand-dyed wool yarns
5 ft x 6 ft May 2004

The Pilchuck School of Glass had its 30th Anniversary celebration in August 2001. To commemorate this event, Preston Singletary and David Svenson designed and created a 20-foot totem pole with carvers from Alaska Indian Arts in Haines, Alaska. The Pilchuck Totem Pole in wood and glass honors the school’s three founders (from top to bottom): Anne Gould-Hauberg, Dale Chihuly, and John H. Hauberg.

I was one of the students in the glass casting class taught by Singletary and Svenson; we created the glass castings inserted into the totem pole. The students also assisted in painting the totem pole. During the last week of completion, John Hagen, one of the carvers from Haines, asked me if I would design and paint the Chilkat robe for ‘Anne” at the top of the totem pole. I designed and painted it during that week before the celebration. During the totem pole raising ceremony, Anne Gould-Hauberg just happened to mention to one of the school’s alumni artist that she admired the Chilkat robe at the top of the pole and wished she could own one. The artist remarked: “Well… if you really want one, the woman who designed and painted the robe is standing over there… and she is a weaver of those robes.”

Anne commissioned the robe. She said she would like a design that combined the blanket I created for the totem pole robe with a robe she once owned but is now the permanent collection of the Seattle Art Museum. She and I visited the museum so she could show me exactly which robe it was. (A photograph of the robe is in a Native art book titled: “The Spirit Within: Northwest Coast Art from the John H. Hauberg Collection," page 61.)

I gave my self a deadline: the Pilchuck School of Glass Annual Auction held October 2002. I knew Anne would be attending and that she would be honored at the banquet. She was in her mid-80s, so who could say how long she would be able to enjoy the robe. I told myself I would complete the robe in time for Anne to wear it at the auction. Because of other commitments, I could not begin weaving the robe until February 2002 and I was not sure that I would be able to weave a full-size complex-design robe in less than a year. As it turned out, it took me 7 months to weave the robe; full-time at least 8 hours a day, even on weekends. Towards the last two weeks, I wove about 18 hours per day. To avoid loss, damage or theft, I always hand-carry a Chilkat robe and deliver it "in person." Carver Wayne Price danced the robe during the presentation ceremony. We "brought it out" in ceremony before the auction began.

I dyed yellow, turquoise and green weft, using commercial dyes. In this case, Anne had chosen the green instead of the more common turquoise. The green was the color used by Chilkat weavers before the arrival of the Navy ships and their blue blankets, which could be rendered to help create turquoise.

"Sea Grizzly" Chilkat Robe

Private Collection, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Hand-spun merino wool, cedarbark, leather, ©2000 Clarissa Rizal

In 1998, I received a commission that excited me.  A Native chief in Canada asked me to produce a copy of a famous Chilkat blanket which had once belonged to his family, but which now resided in a Canadian museum.  This robe was woven in the 1890s by Mrs. Jim Gotholas from Village Island (B.C.) of the Mamallillikula tribe. The design was a combination whale and grizzly bear. He said he could not repatriate the robe because he did not have any photographic or written proof that his clan had used the robe in ceremony and so "belonged to them," so he commissioned me to create a duplicate.

The chief wanted a duplicate Chilkat robe for his potlatch that he was planning: "I am setting the date of the potlatch according to when you will finish the robe." He sent me photographs and the exact measurement of the original robe. I was nervous. I was not sure if I could do this robe. This was my very first Chilkat robe. I had never woven anything larger than a pair of leggings before, so what made me think that I could do a whole robe!?

I thigh-spun 1000 yards of warp from merino wool with yellow cedar bark.  I purchased white and black 2/6 merino yarns for the weft, and dyed the yellow and blue yarns matching Jennie's favorite shades of those colors.

Between caring for my family, finishing many other commissions, and moving from one town to another (twice!), I finished the blanket in just over two years.  The blanket was first "danced" in the fall of 2000 during the chief's family potlatch in western British Columbia.

"the Diamonds"Ravenstail Robe

Private Collection, Juneau, AK
Merino wool, cedarbark ,leather

©1997 Clarissa Rizal

This style of robe is called "Ravenstail" or "Northern Geometric" and is an older method of weaving than Chilkat.  Very few of these robes existed twenty years ago; nearly all of those were in various museums around the world. With the resurrgence of Ravenstail weaving, there are many new robes in existence today. This robe partakes in many potlatches in Southeast Alaska.

Weavers: do you need a Chilkat design pattern for your next Chilkat robe, apron, leggings, headdress or bag? As mentioned above and with the exception of two robes, Clarissa designs all her own weavings; she will design your next weaving based on your clan emblem or historical/personal event. Commission Clarissa to create the design for your next weaving.

Would you like to own a Chilkat robe or weaving? Clarissa accepts commissions and is creative with a payment plan suiting your pocketbook. Do you want the weaving by a certain deadline? Clarissa can work with you on a timeline Contact Clarissa