Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection

Rating:
Summary: Most disappointing collection catalog in years
Review: Over the years I've been an avid collector of every museum or exhibition catalogs on North American Indian Art -- but this one is the biggest disappointment. While provenience histories can be of importance for the reader, here it provides little meaning and appears to primarily satisfy the collectors/dealers' vanities. Oftentimes provenience entries are incomplete. The lengthy caption reveal very little new or interesting information and for the most part contain meaningless blah-blah just to pad the space around the pictures.

Layout and design is pedestrian, and for that price one would have expected to find all items in color.

A missed opportunity, too bad!

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece!
Review: This is no mere exhibition catalogue. It is a superb book- thoroughly researched, well-written and beautifully photographed- really a one-volume encyclopedia of Native North American art. The inclusion of provenance is essential and an important ethical model that others in Native American studies should follow.

A major achievement.