“The Mohave, who gave name to that vast arid waste, the Mohave Desert, are of Yuman stock. . . . In early times the Mohave were a powerful tribe, but owing to outside influences they have become greatly reduced in number. . . .

The Indian artists picture in their work the common objects of everyday life; the great powers of nature, the sun, moon, stars, wind, trees, animals, birds, or whatever might suit their fancy. . . . Many of the designs are worked on a white background representing the snow-time, or winter, which was the season when the men went on the war trail to achieve honors and glory. Other colors symbolic of military achievement were red, indicating wounds inflicted or received; yellow, the sun-colored war horses, and green, representing the grass or summer. In religious or ceremonial designs, red represents the sunset or thunder; blue, the sky, water or day; yellow, the dawn or sunlight; and black, the night.”

—Dorothy Smith Sides, from Decorative Art of the Southwestern Indians, 1936.