Down from the Shimmering Sky: Masks of the Northwest Coast

Presents two centuries of powerful, striking masks made by First Nations artists on the Pacific Northwest Coast. Some depict animals and supernatural creatures while others are human face masks representing ancestral spirits which descend from the heavens. The opening essay provides a look into the meaning and potency of masks from the viewpoint of a Native person, and the text surveys the four dimensions of the cosmos as perceived by the Native peoples of the Northwest Coast as well as underlying issues of aesthetics, art produced for sale, continuity and change, and the relations of artists to the market. Beautifully illustrated with 61 color and about 100 b&w photographs. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.