Vertical COURTING: A Small Female Figure and Sitting Couple A man holds a woman within his "skunk" blanket as they sit side-by-side. The �skunk� blanket (Cowdrey 1999: 75) is a courting blanket made of "two pieces of white-selvedge trade cloth sewn together. This produced a double-width wrap, with a broad white stripe down the center" (Cowdrey). This white stripe runs down his back. (See Arrow�s Elk Society Ledger on the PILA site for examples; Plate 9 of this ledger for further discussion of courtship).The man�s braids are wrapped with otter fur with the ends dangling. The man holds an eagle feather fan made of three immature golden eagle tailfeathers tipped with red. It is tied with red cloth, with two streamers. Such fans �were carried in the hands of men and women during formal and ceremonial occasions� (Lanford: 2003, 183). His dark leggings, with one vertical stripe formed from undyed selvedge seam, is visible under the blanket, as well as a red breechclout flap. The woman wears a choker necklace with a pierced abalone or conch shell disc strung and attached at the center (see Pamplin ledger plates MN and 250 and discussion by Benson Lanford (2003: 174). More lines circle the woman�s neck�perhaps beads or top of a striped blanket. The woman�s legs show under her red blanket, with two stripes around each ankle (see Plate 2 for discussion of such stripes or �trails�). The figure at to the right of them is smaller, perhaps because she is at a distance from them. She may be a chaperone. She is dressed formally in red dress, belt mounted with German silver plate conchos (see Plates 7 and 9), and dark leggings. Her arms are extended downward.