Customer Reviews

Tribal Art (DK Collector's Guides)

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

 

 

I wanted to look to the art of the past to inform my art now. This book has been very helpful, in that it has so very many photographs of tribal artwork. I especially love the masks and the symbolism involved, and I wish there were even more of this book! I want more pottery, more masks, more everything. There really is a lot of information in this book, though, so I shouldn't complain. It would be great for collectors of tribal art, which is what it's meant to be.

The book is one of the best because of the beautiful clear images and descriptions. Also the estimated prices are included per item. It is a must for the artist or the layman who is interested in tribal art.

Tribal Art: The Essential World Guide (Antique Collector's Guide) Here is a great African Art Hardcover which I give an A+ + +. Its informative and most interesting book to own if you are a collector of African and Oceanic Art. Thanks, John

This book isn't what I thought it would be but it had a lot of information and beautiful renderings of the pieces.

Having finished this book, I must say I found it rather strange and unsatisfactory. On the plus side it shows an enormous amount of beautiful pieces from Africa, the Pacific (including some art from Indonesia) and North and South America. So far so great.

There is alas also a minus side to this book, or rather a couple of minuses:

- a lot of the world is missing, e.g. nearly all of Asia and the whole Arab world;

- what is tribal art anyway: I wouldn't classify artifacts from cultures like the Maya, Inca and Aztec as 'tribal';

- is it wise to put SO much in. I think not. It gets to be a bit of a hotchpotch;

- the book is supposed to be a guide to collecting this art. I don't wish to be ultra PC about this, but hardly anything is said about the fact that at least some of this art comes from graverobbers, stealing the history of the countries they rob.

All in all a beautifully presented book with some caveats.