The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art

"This volume focuses on the symbols, meaning, and significance of art in native, or indigenous, cultures. Illustrated with more than 500 line drawings, color plates, and maps, this reference work provides the most pertinent information available on the art of Africa, Oceania, and native North America." "Entries on each geographical area discuss the art of the region and, through cross-references, lead the reader to additional geographical subdivisions and individual cultures. The major art forms for each culture - including worldview, religion, and society - are treated in detail." "Broad subjects, such as rites of passage, are treated in the general entries. These entries address universal motifs and themes such as the center, the layered universe, the four/six directions, and architecture as a symbol of the cosmos. Other major issues included here are color, the role of animals in art, color symbolism, and the symbolism of the various parts of the human body. This reference also details the reciprocal impact of colonization on native art and native art on modern Western art."--BOOK JACKET.