Synopses & Reviews
The fascinating but nearly extinct native tradition of monumental house art in Alaska is richly documented in this sumptuous book. Through rare historical photographs and his own stunning renderings in vivid color, pioneering anthropologist Edward Malin captures the vanishing riches of Northwest Coast house front paintings and interior screen partitions. With abiding respect and wonder, Malin considers every aspect of the works and explores the ways of the Tlingit, Coast Tsimshian, Haida, Northern Kwakiutl, Southern Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Nuu chaa nulth, and the communities that nurtured them. For all admirers of native art, this book is an essential reference and thoughtful, in-depth guide.
About the Author
Edward Malin is an anthropologist whose professional life has been dedicated to the study of Northwest Coast Indians. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in cultural anthropology and East Asian studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Before retiring from the Japanese studies program at the University of Portland, he served as chairman of the humanities department at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon; chairman and associate professor in social sciences at Marylhurst College; teacher of folklore and cultural anthropology at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon; and a consultant with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Arts & Crafts Board. Malin has also been a lecturer for the Seattle Art Museum and the Ethnic Arts Council. He resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon.