Publisher's Synopsis
Native American designs are as rich and varied as the many different tribes or clans who created them. This book provides a definitive source of their art forms for modern designers, with page upon page filled with a wealth of decorative patterns and motifs. Native America design is essentially spiritual in nature and inextricably linked to the natural world. Patterns and emblems were designed to evoke the benevolence of powerful spirits throughout to determine the outcome of events. Many are abstract, others reflect animal shapes; all are strong and dynamic in character. Organized thematically for ease of reference, the designs are grouped together in chapters such as Tools and Utensils, Clothing and Housing, Decoration, Masks and Totems, and Painting (with subdivisions within each), to reflect not only the differences in designs between tribes of different areas, but also the similarities and recurrent images - the eagle, the deer, and the coyote. A thorough introduction looks at the development of Native American design as it has evolved according to terrain, climate and social customs of particular areas which dictate the materials and techniques used.
