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Introduction

Form, Pattern, and Function

Design in American Indian Art
December 4, 1992 - January 24, 1993

The diversity of the American Indian peoples is reflected in their art. The objects in this exhibition were selected to show this diversity and how the form, pattern, and function of each is dependent on the lifestyle and environment of the people who made them.

The lifestyles of Native Americans are a reflection of their relationship to nature. They made use of the natural resources available and fashioned these resources into objects suited to their way of life, as illustrated by the containers in this gallery. The rawhide containers used by the nomadic buffalo-hunting tribes of the Plains are one example of how the parts of the buffalo were used; in this case, the hide was fashioned into containers suitable for traveling. On the other hand, the Zuni water jar, made of the plentif ul clay of the Pueblo region, suited their more settled, agrarian lifestyle.

American Indians also traded heavily among each other, receiving goods not available or difficult to obtain. As the Indians came into contact with new objects, they took inspiration from them and adapted designs, patterns, and forms for their own use. The same was true of the Indians when the Europeans, mainly Spanish explorers in the southwest and French and English fur traders of the north, brought unfamiliar materials and techniques. The Pueblo Indians, who already had a sophisticated weaving technology using cotton, transformed their textiles by the adoption of wool provided by sheep introduced by the Spanish. At the same time the introduction of the horse, also by the Spanish, revolutionized the life of the buffalo-hunting Plains Indians. The French and English traded glass beads for fur pelts, and these brightly colored objects quickly replaced traditional methods of decoration such as the moose hair and porcupine quills used by the Indians of the Northeast, Woodland, and Subarctic regions.

Native Americans made use of everything they made, whether it was a knife, a religious ceremonial mask, or a military bonnet. Each object was imbued with a sense of beauty and design. As the nineteenth century closed and most Indian nations were forced onto reservations their lifestyles changed dramatically. Ironically the enforced leisure caused a flowering of Native American art, which became a symbol of enduring pride in the American Indian way of life.

Selected Objects

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Man's wearing blanket (Chief blanket, phase III), ca. 1865 - ca. 1880

Native North American

Ball play sticks, late 1800s - early 1900s

A:shiwi (Zuñi) Native North American, Zuni Pueblo

Water jar, ca. 1890

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Man's wearing blanket (Chief blanket, phase II), 1855-1863

Native North American

Pipe Case, late 1800s- early 1900s

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Button, ca. 1900

Ka'igwu (Kiowa) Native North American, Great Plains

Cradleboard, ca. 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Necklace, ca. 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Button, ca. 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

dress fragment; saddle blanket, ca. 1900

Native North American

Dipper

Apsáalooke (Crow) Native North American

Cradleboard, early 1900s

Native North American, Southwest

Headdress, early 1900s

Native North American

Belt, 1800s

Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) Native North American

Hat, late 1800s

Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Native North American

Bandolier Bag, 1875-1899

Native North American

Belt, 1800s

Apsáalooke (Crow) Native North American

Umbilical amulet, 1900s

Mi'kmaq (Micmac) Native North American

Woman's hood, ca. 1775

Hopi Native North American, Arizona

Sa'lakwmana (Shalako Maiden) figure, early 1900s

Diné (Navajo) Native North American, Southwest

Man's wearing blanket ("Moqui" style), 1870s

A:shiwi (Zuñi) Native North American, New Mexico

Kachina Doll

Apache Native North American

Jar (olla), ca. 1910

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Pendant, ca. 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Button, ca. 1900

French Canadian Metis Native American (culture)

Sash (ceinture fléchée), 1800s

Pikuni Blackfeet (Piegan) Native North American

Parfleche, 1800s

Hopi Native North American

Women’s wearing blanket (manta), ca. 1870

Hopi Native North American

Hopi Rain Sash

Santee Sioux Native North American Dakota, Great Plains

Woman's Dress, late 1800s - early 1900s

Pomo Native North American

Bowl, early 1900s

Native North American Sioux Dakota, Great Plains

Northern Plains Cradle wrap, late 1800s - early 1900s

Arctic Native American Inuit

Eegak (Goggles), ca. 1900

Apache Native North American

Storage jar, 1800s

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Necklace, 1880 - 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Pendant, ca. 1900

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Button, ca. 1900

A:shiwi (Zuñi) Native North American, New Mexico

Kachina Doll, early 1900s

Native North American

Necklace, 1800s

Native North American, Arkansas

Bottle, 1875-1925

Diné (Navajo) Native North American

Women’s wearing blanket (manta), ca. 1880

Native North American, Acoma (Pueblo)

Pendant, late 1800s

Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Native North American

Man's Vest, ca. 1860

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Form, Pattern, and Function : Design in American Indian Art

December 4, 1992 - January 24, 1993
View Checklist PDF

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