Small Spirits
Subtitle: Native American Dolls from the National Museum of the American Indian
Publisher: National Museum of American Indian
Published: May 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 175
ISBN-13: 9780295983639
Subjects: Art of indigenous peoples; Toys, teddy bears & dolls; Social Science; Art & Art Instruction; Sociology; The Americas; American - Native American; Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum; Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies - Spirituality; American - General; Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies; Exhibitions; Indian dolls; National Museum of the America; National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.)
Description: "A variety of Native American dolls - from prehistoric ceramic figures to striking contemporary creations by Inuit and Pueblo artists - fill the pages of Small Spirits. These miniature forms have played rich and diverse roles in indigenous cultures from antiquity to the present, serving as toys and learning tools for children, sacred and magical figurines, props and performers in drama and dance, and in recent years, as items manufactured for sale. Some dolls today are created as artworks and coveted by collectors." "Full-color images portray the beauty and craftsmanship of the dolls - among the most enchanting objects in the National Museum of the American Indians's vast collections - in Small Spirits. Each doll, from the simplest toy made of sticks and cloth scraps to the exquisitely dressed replica of a woman in her finest regalia, offers a glimpse into a particular cultural world, like that of the Navajo, Cree, or Tapirape - and into the mind of an individual maker, perhaps a grandmother reflecting on the past, a child fashioning a plaything, or an artist creating a gallery piece. The great variety of form and materials - such as walrus tusk ivory, cornhusks, and beeswax embellished with the brilliantly colored feathers of tropical birds - reflects the vibrancy and range of Native American lifeways."--BOOK JACKET.