Rookwood and the American Indian: Masterpieces of American Art Pottery from the James J. Gardner Collection

This remarkable book blends history, anthropology and art in a manner seldom seen. Ellis, an expert in Rookwood pottery at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Meyn, an ethnologist have taken a catalogue of a line of Rookwood featuring painted portraits of Indians and made it into a window into a time and place long lost. Meyn's introduction outlines the history of Native Americans in the Cincinnati area, from the first white settlers to the days of Wild West Shows. Then Ellis gives the background of Rookwood and the development of the line of Indian images in the late nineteenth century. The main part of the books consists of full-color, full-page illustrations of the pottery with information on each piece and its creator. Added to this the editors have included original photos of the people represented. When possible, a brief biography of the subject is included. The audience for this book reaches for beyond art historians and pottery collectors to anyone interested in the history of Native Americans. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)