American Indian Art Magazine Vol. 38, #4 (2013)

$ 11.00

American Indian Art Magazine was one of the premier Native Art Magazines for over 40 years.  Many of the issues have become classics for their insightful articles on everything from pottery to beadwork.  The magazine closed a few years ago and I bought out the remaining issues that were focused on the pottery so each one we are listing is now fully sold out!   All issues are in perfect condition.

This is Vol. 38, #4 and, believe it or not, it may be one of the most important and interesting articles on pottery that you will ever read!  I was hoping the magazine still has copies of this issue, as the article, “Righting the Record: Attributing a “Unique” Pottery Vessel to Nampeyo” (by David Schramm) is one of the best articles I have ever read on attributions.  With early pieces by potters such as Nampeyo of Hano and Sara Fina Tafoya not being signed, how does one create an attribution?  This article looks at a piece of Hopi-Tewa pottery in the National Museum of the American Indian in DC and explores its history and attribution.  If you haven’t read this article and you have any interest in the attribution process of unsigned work (both Native and non-Native), BUY this issue!  Each time I have led a group and discussed historic pottery and attributions I have given them this article as a reading assignment.  The last section, “On Connoisseurship: Why Should We Care About Attributions”, the author has one of the best lines written on this subject, “For scholarly reasons, we care about attributions, because if they are correct, they will expand our understanding and appreciation of the artist.  But equally, if they are wrong, then our overall understanding of the artist’s work will be distorted, perhaps significantly“.  Definitely, something to think about for historic unsigned pottery, jewelry, etc in the Native art world!  You can agree or disagree with the article but the topic is one which remains timely and certainly asks the scholar who makes the attribution and the collector who accepts it, to think more thoroughly about the process.

They are new and in excellent condition.  Shipping is included.