Spider Woman's gift Nineteenth-century Diné textiles at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

A catalog of the exhibition at the Santa Fe Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Dine (Navajo) textiles and baskets, this well-illustrated book presents two voices-that of native weaver Joyce Began-Foss and anthropologist Marina Ropee. Together, they connect the oral stories and traditions of the Navajo with their evolving material culture during the tumultuous last half of the 19th century. Both contributed an essay to the book, and they complement each other well, providing a solid understanding of the symbolic intents and meanings of the works and the technical means of their production and evolution. Tisdale (Fine Indian Jewelry of the Southwest) includes more than 50 full-page illustrations, typologically arranged and with extended captions. Because the collection from which it is drawn is broad and deep, this short book is able to provide a high-quality introduction to Navajo woven textiles during the years 1840-1900 for the general reader. VERDICT Other, broader titles may cover the same period, but this book's up-to-date scholarship and excellent plates elevate it above the rest. Recommended.-Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.