This book is for anyone who has ever looked at a piece of stone, or maybe bone, that was fashioned long ago by the hand of man into some object, and paused a moment to wonder who made it. . . And how . . . And for what purpose. For anyone who has ever peered at artifacts in a glass case at a museum, read the labels and not found the answers to his questions. This book is for the curious. Specifically, it is about artifacts of the Pacific Northwest Coast Indians, and it will try to satisfy the inquiring mind that asks how was that artifact made? Illustrations will show the different techniques applied to the various materials, stone, bone, antler and shell, to shape them into the final product, and in some cases, the progressive steps in the manufacture of an artifact. And for the inquisitive soul who wonders how was it used?, this book will show the artifact complete with a handle, a shaft or some other component (if it had one), the way it was used and the function it served.
The reader's interest will be aroused by those small items and fragments whose use is lost in antiquity, its function tantalizing the archaeologist who can only guess and wonder. He will delight in the sheer beauty often portrayed in a design, or marvel at the patience required to transform a small boulder into a sculptured seated figure embracing a bowl.
Above all, I hope the reader will acquire a deep appreciation for the inventive thought and skilled craftsmanship that went into so many of these artifacts. And in so doing, I would like to think that he will also gain a deeper understanding and a greater respect for the coastal Indian of today, whose cultural heritage in this land goes back a great deal further than that of the newly arrived white man. |
