American Indian Art - General

American Indian decorative art is as much a window in the cultures of the respective tribes as it is a celebration of innovation in artistry. Their rich traditions of carving, weaving, and storytelling create a body of decorative objects that both honor heritage and hearken back to the North American continent generations ago.

Though these traditions in the decorative and visual arts have been part of the American Indian experience for millennia, most surviving examples in good condition date to the last one hundred to two hundred years. This is in part due to these tribes' emphasis on using organic materials. Save for the glass seed beads introduced into their culture by European tradesmen centuries ago, American Indians relied primarily on the media within their natural environment to convey artful objects and narratives. Clothing, for example, was made from animal hides; totems were carved from local wood.

This locally-sourced outlook was a testament to the American Indian’s indelible connection to nature, but it also meant the inevitable decay of some of these objects, particularly when exposed to extreme weather conditions or other mistreatments. Those well-preserved artifacts that do survive, however, are a remarkable showcase of American Indian artistry and culture and should be curated accordingly in your collection as a true piece of history.