Native American Art Masterpieces

Native American art is the visual language of an extraordinary people, and its objects and images speak eloquently of a rich history and culture, NATIVE AMERICAN ART MASTERPIECES tells the story of that language, from its early origins in the Hopewell period that began in 200B.C. through to modern-day America, with its powerful images by contemporary Native American artists like Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith and Margaret Tafoya. Forty-eight color reproductions, each accompanied by an essay exploring the art’s cultural, historical and ceremonial significance, reveal the deeply rooted traditions and innovative craftsmanship of the Native American aesthetic. The reader will see the spiritual and the sacred throughout Native art work, beginning with the delicately carved Hopewell effigy of a human hand from the Middle Woodland period and a mask with antlers from the Mississippian culture of A.D. 1200-1350. Masterpieces of beading, weaving, and pottery speak vividly about tribal life on the American Plains, and important tribal rituals are recalled in stunning pieces such as a buffalo-hide robe embellished with dyed porcupine quills, a Karok dance hat adorned with ermine and feathers, and a warrior’s bonnet with a floor-length trailer of eagle feathers. From the Southwest, the designs on a ceramic water jar, the detailed attire on a Kachina doll, and the intricate weaving on rugs and “chief’s blankets” all attest to the deeply reverential culture that was their inspiration. And no less powerful are the wooden masks and figures of the Native Northwest Coast peoples. In addition to the historic pieces which make up the core of traditional Native American art are works from modern-day masters, the painters and sculptors of the 20th century. Read more RKV-103.NativeAmArt