Of the three design motifs used by the Penobscots – double curves, floral and geometric – double curves are the most prominent.

“Double curves are found primarily in beadwork, such as ceremonial collars, and cuffs, and moccasins,” Penobscot Nation historian James Eric Francis said. “[They also are] etched into birch bark, such as canoes and containers.”

Some double curves have special meaning. For example, one Wabanaki gathering place design represents the confederacy of the four tribes – Penobscot, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Micmac.

“Most are simply a design element used over and over in different configurations to fill large areas with intricate design,” Francis said. Double curves can be found throughout Algonquin-speaking people as far west as the Canadian Rockies, but tend to fall off as a secondary design motif the farther you get from the Wabanaki tribes.