Indian Arts of the Southwest

by Susanne Page, Jake Page

Beauty, skill, and wisdom, woven into one fine collectibles book.

Southwestern Native Americans are renowned for their commitment to excellence in artistry and craftsmanship. This equally excellent book offers clear, expert, concise guidance to the gorgeous array of objects created by the native peoples of Arizona and New Mexico. Indian Arts of the Southwest features photographs of the basketry, pottery, weaving, jewelry, and carvings of more than 200 noted artisans, and it also contains essential information and cultural history for more than 30 tribes, including the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Pueblo peoples. And it is packed with invaluable advice on how to judge quality, determine value, and identify imitations and fakes. 200 color photos.

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2008

Reviews

[W F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a comprehensive buyer’s guide of sorts for five major categories in Indian arts: weaving, carving, pottery, basketry, and jewelry. Having read another book on Indian pottery (“talking with the clay”), this book doesn’t go into the nitty gritty, instead it aims to provide a high-level understanding. The jewelry section, in my opinion, is so mesmerizing to stare at and read about. I learned how those beautiful turquoise stones are formed, where they are mined (hint: most aren’t mined here in the U.S. any more), the different grades, and matrixing which gives it character and makes it truly one of a kind. I’m sure I’ll come back to this book at some point in the future, say just before going to an indian art fare, as there are tons of information in here despite the modest page count. 5 stars.