The Pueblo storyteller : development of a figurative ceramic tradition /

Through the medium of the ceramic storyteller, this handsome book provides a useful introduction to the revitalization of figurative ceramic art among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. The power of this striking artistic innovation lies in its combining of two important cultural traditions-the ceramic tradition and that of the storyteller. The authors have drawn on a wealth of scholarly sources as well as interviews of Pueblo artists, but they have not used this material to best advantage. The book's major flaws are its cataloglike presentation and the brevity of its historical and cultural analyses. Thus, the scholarly utility of Babcock's book is limited to lower-level graduate programs in art and Native American studies. Includes plates, glossary, bibliography, and biographical survey of artists-all are excellent.-A.P. Miller, formerly Lindenwood College