GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT—Works by Nineteenth-Century & Contemporary Native American Artists [SOLD]

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT—Works by Nineteenth-Century & Contemporary Native American Artists

An exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, 14 November 1996 through 18 May 1997

Hardback with slip cover, first edition, 1996, new copy, never read, profusely illustrated

Contents

Foreword and Acknowledgments by Dan L. Monroe

Native American Art: Changing Ideas and Perceptions by Dan L. Monroe

Of Museums, Collections, and the Experience of the Peabody Essex Museum by Richard Conn

Patterns of Expression: Beadwork in the Life of the Iroquois by Richard W. Hill, Sr.

Gifts of the Spirit by Susan Shown Harjo

Catalog Entries: Legacy of the Creative Spirit

                           The Creative Spirit in all Things

                           Connections to the Spirit of Nature

                           Sharing the Spirit

                           The Spirit of Innovation

                           Reflections on the Spirit

From the Foreword

          Gifts of the Spirit celebrates the artistic inspiration and creativity of Native American artists.  The idea for the exhibition was born with the discovery of the Peabody Essex Museum’s exceptional Native American art collection.  Hidden for decades in boxes and cabinets, the collection, until recently, had never been carefully examined or researched.  After constructing new, high-quality storage for the collection, it was possible, for the first time, to evaluate its scope and significance.  We discovered, to quote Richard Conn, one of the guest curators of the exhibition, “an embarrassment of riches.” The collection contains scores of masterworks, many of which are among the oldest, finest, and rarest of their kind.  The collection is also distinctive because, unlike many Native American art collections, it is generally well documented.

From Library Journal:

          The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, has only recently made its notable holdings of American Indian art accessible to the public. The celebratory first exhibition also produced this permanent collection catalog. Masterworks were chosen by five curators (several of whom are well-known Native American literary figures) to show the affinity between 19th-century and modern artistic expression. While the works are superbly photographed, the text is less consistent, with some anecdotes more cogent than others. Attempts to unify dialog about artifacts from many cultures and all media vary, depending on the writer's point of view. Still, the book offers invaluable historical documentation. Most useful are the quotes and perspective based on Native thought, exemplifying a trend toward interpretation of Native art objects by Native Americans that is welcome. Although this is an important addition for specialized library collections, the rich range of text and images will also interest general readers wanting to know more about the arts within Indian culture.