In the Potlatch ceremony the chief would give highly elaborate gifts to visiting peoples in order to establish his power and prestige, and by accepting these gifts the visitors conveyed their approval of the chief.

These prizes are often rather elaborate, ornate gifts, such as giant cups, decorative plates, and statuettes.

LEAD: ACCORDING to 15th- and 16th-century diaries, Valentines were not cards but people upon whom such elaborate gifts as jewelry were bestowed.

Other studios have certainly given elaborate gifts, usually money, to stars in successful movies, but these gifts are rarely on the order of a new Mercedes.

Feeling elated yet guilt, Sethe spoils Beloved with elaborate gifts while neglecting Denver.

Lance Wilson Jr., a counselor at P.S. 209 in Whitestone, said teachers often get elaborate gifts from his school's Korean parents, but the $50 flower bouquets and fruit baskets usually find their way to a common area, like the principal's office.

On a whim, Mr. Fetchet would buy and set up elaborate electronic gifts for his family or disguise simple gifts, like CD's, in multiple boxes just to elicit smiles.

Made what I'm sure he considered a manful attempt to conceal his disappointment that the babies didn't have penises, then gave Laura some elaborate gift and left.

They send limos and greet clients by name, dispensing cappuccinos and elaborate gift wraps along with fashion advice.

Mr. Waldheim did not attend the wedding, but sent the couple an elaborate gift - life-size papier-mâché statues of themselves.