From Publishers Weekly
Totem poles, halibut hooks and headdresses are some of the exquisite examples of Northwest Coast Indian art featured in this volume, which was conceived to mark the 1985 centennial of the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. After giving a brief, dry history of the museum, curator emeritus Holm (Northwest Coast Indian Art) offers concise descriptions of 100 objects, which are beautifully photographed in color. In clear, thoughtful prose, Holm explains how various tribes in the region transformed the stuff of everyday life and religious ritual into art. Although his text is occasionally repetitious, he succeeds in blending information on the artistic merit, historic value and cultural or practical role of the various objects, which range from an elegant canoe bailer of red cedar to a ferocious helmet that may have been worn by Tlingit warriors who captured and destroyed the Russian fort Archangel Michael in 1802. The book also includes fascinating archival photographs of Native Americans costumed in some of the regalia now in the museum, such as a frighteningly realistic grizzly bear mask.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The Burke Museum of the University of Washington celebrates its Centennial with this catalog of 100 representative pieces from its collection of Northwest Coast Indian art. The masks, clothing, and ceremonial objects selected by Holm, affiliate of the museum for 50 years, are photographed documentary style: no camera nuances, just powerful designs. Brief descriptions give historical and cultural identity to each piece, though the metric measurements are an annoyance. Spare text and black-and-white photographs, nicely woven in, give the museum's chronology. Highly recommended for libraries in northwest America and British Columbia and for strong Native American collections. David Byrant, Belleville P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.