Customer Reviews

North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is by far the very best book I have ever seen on the subject! It will no doubt take days to just look at the beautiful pictures. The author, Lois Sherr Dubin, has outdone her previous book, "The History Of Beads", which I also highly recommend. This book follows thousands of years of Native adornment, dividing the continent into sections such as the Arctic, the Plains, the Southwest, and more, and goes into the jewelry, symbolism, and purpose of these exquisite artworks in great detail. I had never seen most of the photographs in this book before, and the text is most informative as well. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book, and I'd give it ten stars if I could! The author has obviously put much thought, time, and careful research into this wonderful book!

Lois Sherr Dubin says in the introductory chapter of her beautifully written, generously illustrated and carefully researched book that Indian concepts of connectedness merged neatly with her education in landscape architecture and ecology. She cites examples of appropriate use of material as indications of links to a belief system. How we regard materials can reveal how we think. In a telephone interview with me she said, "It is that profound respect for their materials as they use them that drew me initially to the subject of Indian adornment and the people who make it."

The book demonstrates not only her understanding of fundamental concepts of Native North American thought that have led to the production and use of an astounding array of objects loosely grouped under the title of jewelry and adornment, but shows as well her deep regard for the subject and its makers. She writes, "In my New York apartment I touch a beaded Lakota pouch and reflect on the colors, textures, and sounds of a northern Plains powwow. Native American adornment, layered with artistry and content, stimulates thought. How, I wonder, have the Indian people not only survived near annihilation but also continued to produce such a concentration of superb artisans ...." Throughout the book the reader will meet many of those artisans and hear their words as they share with the author their knowledge of the present and past.

Along with her refreshing writing and brilliant illustrations showing connectedness between past and present, Dubin traces congruences of thought among cultures and communities. Prominent are the similarities among Native American cultures regarding the recent florescence of artistic expression attributed to a resurgence of cultural identity. Personal adornment communicates strong messages. Indian identity is recognized in choices made about personal appearance. What was in the past often used as communication in the absence of common language is today a statement about Indian presence in our democratic society.

Nine chapters are organized around concepts that define regions, often entwined in content and context. Dubin's journey snakes across the continent from the Arctic where tribes arrived from Asia, finds imagery of flower and fur in the Subarctic, cites trading among the Woodlands and vision quest imagery on the Plains. Converging traditions in the Great Basin illustrate continuity and innovation as do beadwork and baskets of the Plateau. Whether two or three dimensional, art of the Northwest Coast is described at sculptural, and materials representing sky, land and sea appear in California. Last on the journey is the presence of turquoise stone in religion and commerce in the Southwest. Rarely isolated, the regions are connected by time, trade and ideas about life. The book begins and ends with essay chapters where the circle is evoked as the continuum and essence of the Native spirit.

By no means an encyclopedia, Dubin's book is a personal and intelligent selection of information collected during a decade-long journey through communities and cultures. She weaves her information from ancient and contemporary sources into patterns easily understood, and takes the reader down paths of knowledge that show meanings behind intriguing objects that enrich their mere visual appeal.

(Robert Kasal lives in the desert in Arizona amid Indian art.)

this book could easily inspire a life of crime--how else to afford the gorgeous contemporary jewelry? or acquire the museum quality antique and archeological collections?

as a knitter, embroiderer and beader, i am always looking for inspiration for my pieces. i may stoop to outright plagarism when it comes to the works in this incredible book. though i will say that i can only dream of having the level of skill the pieces display. the craftmanship, the artistry, are humbling when one considers the tools the artists had--and the reservation conditions under which too much of the art was created.

the text is wonderfully informative, if you can force yourself to read it, instead of allowing yourself to be mesmerized by the photos.

follow the advice of the professional review--buy this book immediately.

I'm wearing out the copy of North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment by Lois Sherr Dubinat at the local book store as I save towards its purchase. It is the most conclusive, informative, visually stimulating referance resource on Native American Jewelry, Regalia, Artifacts and more, separated by regions and tribes. The photos and graphics are extremely detailed and the text is very well researched. Can hardly wait till its mine to study for hours at a time.

This gorgeous book is indeed indispensable, especially if "read" visually. Unfortunately, quite a few of the tribal attributions for historic objects (information given to the author by museums) are wrong. Given the scope of this project, Dubin had little choice but to take often out-dated info at face value rather than do her own research. However, readers should keep this caveat in mind when using this work as a reference.

This book is a must-have for anyone serious about studying Native American cultures. It is a fun read, while still being absolutely crammed with information. It's clear the author put in a lot of time and work to master her subject. Not to mention, the artwork featured in the book is beautiful. I love to breeze through it when I've had a hard day, just to feel my spirits lift looking at such amazing works of art. You will learn so much and enjoy the journey enormously.

This is a lovely work but I bought it without realizing that the "CONCISE"
edition is somehow abbreviated. I had spent time with the book belonging to a friend and wanted to buy one. However, this book is much smaller. Without comparing both books, I would have no way of determining what is missing. Even with this disappointment, I think that perhaps the concise edition makes sense. It is chock full of beautiful photos and there are two fold out pages that have three pages worth of illustrations and photos on both sides.

I'm thinking it's not a bad buy. It's just not what I thought I was buying. My bad.

My brother-in-law has the exact same title book,his book has over 600 pages! I ordered the book thinking that I would get a similar copy at a great price. I did not realize that I was purchasing an condensed version. The information in the book, although somewhat sparse is good. Thank you.

I received my copy of this book with the expectation, like several others who have reviewed this book, that it was 600 pages of material. This is woefully short of the full version. I had to go back to the listing to see if there was a disclaimer and the title does include the words concise edition.

I am not a professional in this field and had no idea that there were two versions. I feel mislead since the bigger description said clearly that it was hardcover. Most lesser editions of titles I'm familiar with are published in softcover. The description should have made a full disclaimer NOT THE FULL 600 PAGE ORIGINAL EDITION.

This huge book, published in stunning quality (here meaning basic binding and materials quality as well as quality of photos), covers an enormous range of tribes and artifact types. It focuses most on the 18th and 19th centuries, though you will find references and photos on items ranging from ancient to modern. I like the blend of the topical and regional approaches the author takes. I was particularly happy about the coverage of beaded artifacts. This is a keeper and works equally well as a casual coffee table picture book or serious study material. If there is a shortcoming, it is that I was hoping for more coverage of Eastern woodland tribes.

My initial copy arrived from Amazon with a torn dust cover and broken binding. Amazon shipped a replacement immediately. In spite of the problems with the first copy, I can still comment on the quality of the book. The paper is high-quality, the binding is based on well-sewn signatures, the end cover papers are sufficiently heavy for a book of this size, and the reproduction quality of the photographs is just superb.