Chief’s Drinking Cup (Athle Yet)
ClassificationsFurnishings-Accessories-baskets
Culture
Tlingit
Dateearly 20th Century
Made AtNorth America
MediumNative grass to Alaska or British Columbia, possibly spruce root
Dimensions4 7/8 × 4 7/8 × 5 in. (12.4 × 12.4 × 12.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Herbert W. Clark Trust
Object number2016.14.14
DescriptionAthle yet, or saltwater drinking cups, were used by Tlingit men—in this case a chief—to drink salt water. Used ceremonially and often prescribed by a shaman, it was thought that the drinking of sea water would guard against disease and bring luck in hunting, fishing, and gambling; often in conjunction with a fast of several days. Most athle yet are cylindrical and proportionally taller than this one, though a weave dense enough to be watertight certainly indicates that this cup was used to drink saltwater. Women would weave athle yet, inserting traditional geometric designs and colors and showing off a mastery of basketry, but the cups themselves were only ever used by men.Tlingit spruce root baskets are considered among the finest examples of a weaving technique called two-strand twining. Several varieties of weave are commonly used in Tlingit basketry, including: two-strand twining, between weave (plaiting with alternative rows of two-strand twining), three-strand twining, and cross warp twining. While each technique has its merits, two-strand twining was commonly used to produce a strong, tightly woven basket while allowing for the addition of designs using false embroidery ornamentation. Abstract patterns are woven into the baskets, including motifs like butterfly wings, bear faces, whale teeth, path of the woodworm, tail of the raven, and flying goose. As they are passed down over generations, and through contact from Euro-Americans, Tlingit patterns have continually evolved over time.
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