Customer Reviews

Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection (Fenimore Art Museum, New York State Historical Association)

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is no mere exhibition catalogue. It is a superb book- thoroughly researched, well-written and beautifully photographed- really a one-volume encyclopedia of Native North American art. The inclusion of provenance is essential and an important ethical model that others in Native American studies should follow.

A major achievement.

Although it is quite thorough in covering all aspects of North American Indian Art and includes all the major Indian tribes, the illustrations are very disappointing. I don't see how you can really discuss for example Acoma, Jemez or other pueblo pottery by showing examples only in black and white. The same can said for Navajo, Zuni or Hopi jewelry and certainly kachinas, and to a lesser extent, basketry. Even some of the beadwork (not all) is shown in black and white. Considering the price of this volume, I cannot recommend buying it unless you get a really good deal second-hand.

Over the years I've been an avid collector of every museum or exhibition catalogs on North American Indian Art -- but this one is the biggest disappointment. While provenance histories can be of importance for the reader, here it provides little meaning and appears to primarily satisfy the collectors/dealers' vanities. Oftentimes provenance entries are incomplete. The lengthy caption reveal very little new or interesting information and for the most part contain meaningless blah-blah just to pad the space around the pictures.

Layout and design is pedestrian, and for that price one would have expected to find all items in color.

A missed opportunity, too bad!