Art of the Ancestors: Antique North American Indian Art

George Everett Shaw, Steven C. Brown, Benson L. Lanford, and Bill Mercer examine how American Indians' existence developed around the challenges and benefits of the climate, terrain, flora, and fauna of their locales. Their art objects embody the spiritual devotion—inseparable from their relationship with the natural world—that even now shapes their lives. Whether decorated with abstract patterns or with representations of humans and animals, such pieces were vehicles for passing down beliefs and customs before written languages existed. Thus we can appreciate them not only for their beauty and the skill and ingenuity of their makers but also in the context of the cultures from which they sprang.

About The Author
George Everett Shaw, a dealer in antique Indian art and an exhibition curator, assembled the objects, most never before appearing in a published volume.

Steven C. Brown (Northwest Coast and Alaska), a noted carver of Indian art, was formerly an associate curator at the Seattle Art Museum.

Benson L. Lanford (Plains and Woodlands) is a consultant to Christie's and a contributor to American Indian Arts magazine.

Bill Mercer (Southwest and California) is curator of Native American art at the Portland Art Museum.