Book review: Turquoise, Water, Sky: Meaning and Beauty in Southwest Native Arts

Authors

  • David Eugene Witt State University of New York (SUNY), University at Buffalo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v4i1.1714

Keywords:

turquoise, book review

Abstract

Turquoise, Water, Sky: Meaning and Beauty in Southwest Native Arts presents an accessible discussion of the importance and utilization of turquoise by Southwestern cultures throughout the past 1500 years, albeit heavily focused on the modern era. Primarily meant for a lay audience, this short volume is divided into six chapters and interspersed by approximately 160 images and illustrations. While beautiful, these images greatly limit the amount of text in the book. Turquoise, Water, Sky begins with a discussion of the prehistoric use of the material and its meaning in both past and contemporary contexts. However, the majority of the volume presents an evolution of contemporary form of both Puebloan and Navajo stonework. This portion will likely be the most appealing aspect of the book for the intended general audience, but it has limited utility for archaeologists and others interested in lithic studies. 

Author Biography

David Eugene Witt, State University of New York (SUNY), University at Buffalo

I'm a research associate with Department of Anthropology at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo, as well as the Indian Nations Affairs Coordinator of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

References

Turquoise, Water, Sky: Meaning and Beauty in Southwest Native Arts

by Maxine E. McBrinn and Ross E. Altshuler

Museum of New Mexico Press, 2015, pp. 172. ISBN 978-0-89013-604-1

http://www.unmpress.com/books.php?ID=20000000006839

Downloads

Published

15-Mar-2017

How to Cite

Witt, D. E. (2017). Book review: Turquoise, Water, Sky: Meaning and Beauty in Southwest Native Arts. Journal of Lithic Studies, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.v4i1.1714

Issue

Section

Book reviews