The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and Native North America

This lavishly produced volume is the first reference work to focus on the symbols, meaning, and significance of art in native, or indigenous, cultures. Written in clear, accessible, jargon-free language and illustrated with more than 520 line drawings, color plates, and maps, this major reference work provides the most pertinent information available on the art of Africa, Oceania, and native North America.Many reference works treat symbolism and iconography in Western art and culture yet, until now, little attention has been pain to these rich artisitc traditions. Entries on each geographical area discuss the art of 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 passages, 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 symbol of the cosmos. Other major issues included here are the role of animals in art, color symbolism, and the symbolism of the various parts of the human body. This valuable reference also details the reciprocal impact of colonization on native art on modern Western art.