Harmony By Hand: Art of the Southwest Indians

by Patrick Houlihan, Jerold L. Collings, Sarah Nestor

Shows examples of baskets, weaving, and pottery by Indians of the southwest and discusses the Indian's handicraft techniques, cultures, and homelands

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread review: I hadn't looked at this one for awhile, and I'd forgotten what a good survey and introduction to Southwest Indian art it is. Photos (mostly) by Jerry Jacka and design by McQuiston & Daughter would have caught my eye back then. Both were at the top of their form, and the color printing, by Dai Nippon, still pops. For 1987, it was phenomenal.

The text is by recognized experts, and is intelligent introductory stuff, but well-illustrated and worthwhile. But the heart of the book (for me) is the artifact photos: 10 baskets, 12 old Navajo rugs, and 14 historic Pueblo pots (if I counted them right), each with a full-page color photo, all top-notch pieces. There's a fair bit of information about the artisans who made the pieces, where known, mostly for the baskets and newer pots. The basket section is the most interesting on this reread: it covers baskets from way-prehistoric Basketmaker to contemporary, one in Basketmaker style and killer. Wow.

So you won't go wrong with this one, even if you're way past the intended audience. Near-great art book. 4.6 stars.