Art of the North American Indians is a sumptuous and comprehensive examination of Native American art. While the collection it records began with a personal interest on the part of Eugene and Clare Thaw in Native art featuring the American flag, it soon grew beyond that theme, as they sought to create a representative collection of masterpieces to be given to the public. The result is an extraordinary assemblage of rare and important examples of American Indian art. Objects date from 500 B.C. to the present day, and give an effective and comprehensive overview of the highest artistic levels of American Indian culture throughout North America. The book includes general introductions for each of the eight culture areas--Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, California, Great Basin, Northwest Coast, Northern Athapaskan, and Arctic--as well as 34 regional sections. Superb color photographs by John Bigelow Taylor of 260 objects are accompanied by detailed discussions, and 510 black-and-white photographs of the remaining objects are interspersed throughout the text. The majority of works are from the historic period, but both ancient and contemporary pieces are also included.