Franz Boas, ARTE PRIMITIVA. FORME, SIMBOLI, STILI, TECNICHE, 1997

Born from Boas’ deep interest in the manifestations of material culture, the book is one of the most fortunate monographs on the artistic expressions of pre-industrial societies. The forms and styles, motifs and symbols used in the decoration of objects, the complex techniques that make their production possible, are the subject of careful examination. Under the anthropologist’s lens, the very rich sampling of the artifacts described – embroidery, paintings, blankets, totemic poles, headgear, tools, weapons, boxes, pottery, baskets – proves valuable for the understanding of the cultures that they express.In particular Boas focuses his attention on a production coming in large part from the Indian populations of North America, especially the northwest coast of the Pacific coast that he knew better than anyone, and offers an exceptional graphic documentation. The last part of the book is devoted to oral primitive literature, an area in which Boas was an eminent collector of documents and authentic material. The volume concludes with a brief mention of ethnomusicology and the links between music and texts and between song and dance.