The long and venerable tradition of Native American art began with rock and cave paintings as well as decorated objects for ritual and everyday use. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Native American artists turned in a new direction by painting and drawing on paper. This volume recaptures a culture's transitional era with a remarkable series of watercolors. Created in the 1920s by artists of the American Southwest, these colorful images offer authentic views of a dynamic society and its captivating traditions.
A vital preservation of Native American culture and art, this collection began with a French publisher's series of hand-colored reproductions, issued in limited-edition portfolios. Painstakingly reproduced from the now-rare originals, this new edition presents the first two portfolios together for the first time. Kiowa Indian Art (1929), featuring works by the internationally renowned Kiowa Five, and Pueblo Indian Painting (1932) depict scenes from ritual and social life--the dramatic snake dance, a wedding ceremony, warriors on horseback, and a family portrait, in addition to images of the thunderbird, the plumed serpent, and other mythological creatures. A new introduction by J. J. Brody, a leading authority on Native American art, complements the 81 full-page color plates.