Understanding Northwest Coast Art

Cheryl Shearar

softcover, 143 pages
Douglas & McIntyre, 2000
ISBN: 978-I-55054-782-5

$22.95 CDN


Questions about this item? Email us

Understanding Northwest Coast Art introduces the reader to the powerful and striking artworks produced by the Native cultures of the Northwest Coast, featuring:

- A handy, dictionary-style reference guide to the symbols, crests and beings depicted in works of art such as totem poles, masks, prints, basketry and weaving. The entries cover a wider range of topics such as argillite, button blankets, Coppers, Crooked-Beak, Dzunuk'wa (the Wild Woman of the Woods), Kumuge' (chief of the undersea world), Moon, the potlatch, Raven, Thunderbird and the Winter Ceremony.
- Brief descriptions of design conventions, design elements and the different art styles of Northwest Coast cultural groups
- An explanation of the interconnections between art, myth and ceremony in the life of the culture
- 65 reproductions of contemporary artworks, archival photos and design elements to aid identification of subjects and themes.