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Our Place in the World
This collection includes Native American, Prehistoric, Aboriginal Australian artworks and artifacts.
Their use of shapes are representative of the cultures in which they were made.
The objects were made largely from materials taken from nature, like leather, wool. plants, stone, and wood.
Press the space bar for the next slide.
Beaded Vest
The first images in this collection show tradition things worn and used by members of several Native American cultures. The collection concludes with one Prehistoric European carving and an Aboriginal Australian musical instrument and two spear throwers.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.854166666667" id="zoomer_154_33103iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/17/20/dc2ec3d44cdeda5002fa1b19c33b/140/120/154.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Beaded Vest, Artist Unknown (Lakota)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Pair of Moccasins
These Arapaho moccasins are made of leather.
The colored beads make triangular, rectangular, and diamond shapes, which contrast with white beaded areas.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:95.83984375px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.4607703281" id="zoomer_95111_45474iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/fc/48/a58eead863b9640361e6ac7847eb/140/120/95111.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Pair of Moccasins, Artist Unknown (Inuna-ina (Arapaho))" height_offset="0" /></div>
Dress
This Lakota dress is also made of leather and decorated with beads.
Move the cursor above the image to zoom in.
How many different shapes you can find?
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.10286458333" id="zoomer_102772_2464iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/44/8a/0badcc566c8ee2b55b929ab391f1/140/120/102772.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Dress, Artist Unknown (Lakota)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Man's Jacket
The shapes on this man's jacket tell a story of life among the Lakota.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.829427083333" id="zoomer_98101_42707iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/40/56/56b7be86c04acceba3ddecc17ea7/140/120/98101.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Man's Jacket, Artist Unknown (Lakota)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Parfleche
This is a leather case or parfleche made over 100 years ago by someone of the Hunkpapa Lakota people.
It has large, painted, geometric shapes.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:69.453125px;"><img class="inline_img fake_2.0157480315" id="zoomer_103189_20128iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/43/5c/97d49fc584171b4bfb96f21eee85/140/120/103189.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Parfleche, Artist Unknown (Hunkpapa Lakota)" height_offset="0" /></div>
'Eye-dazzler' Blanket
This Navajo blanket was made with dyed sheep's wool.
The traditional Navajo pattern of geometic shapes is called an "eye dazzler."
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.716145833333" id="zoomer_618_54472iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/20/72/e57f81b3499b9f8824beae15a798/140/120/618.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="'Eye-dazzler' Blanket, Artist Unknown (Navajo)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Wrist Guard (Ketoh)
This Navajo silver piece was made to protect the wrist.
It has curved shapes.
The oval stone in the center is a piece of tourquoise dug from the ground in Nevada.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:101.85546875px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.3744966443" id="zoomer_103127_12386iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/a6/59/838a10848080ef71e51944b132eb/140/120/103127.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Ketoh, Artist Unknown (Diné (Navajo))" height_offset="0" /></div>
Coiled Basket
This Apache basket was made from plant fibers.
The rows od zigzags lines that outline the diamond shapes are made up of little rectangles.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:105px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1.33333333333" id="zoomer_102923_36112iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/c1/3c/6ad00a9b2b88180538abcfd4d409/140/120/102923.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Basket, Artist Unknown (Indé (Apache))" height_offset="0" /></div>
Sun Mask
Look at the dramatic curved and angular shapes used in the Northwest Coast Native American mask.
It is made of painted wood with added pieces of metal.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.966145833333" id="zoomer_97859_9389iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/3d/9e/5716651d9d1421d40eabb09d6c22/140/120/97859.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Sun Mask, Artist Unknown (Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl))" height_offset="0" /></div>
Venus figure
Many thousands of years before there were countries in Europe, a prehistoric carver saw the shape of a woman in this rock and chipped it away to show her body.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.502604166667" id="zoomer_72591_23732iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/15/1f/d1e96bce3b512c9d8d479fcca9ab/140/120/72591.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Venus figure, Artist Unknown (Paleolithic)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Ceremonial Bull Roarer
This is a traditional musical instrument of the Australian Aboriginal people.
If you zoom in really closely you can see lines carved into the wood to make diamonds.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:29.2578125px;"><img class="inline_img fake_4.78504672897" id="zoomer_104766_19034iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/ae/bd/3a747c57ff087949415134a579bd/140/120/104766.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Ceremonial Bull Roarer, Artist Unknown (Aborigine)" height_offset="0" /></div>
Spear Thrower
These are Australian Aboriginal wooden spears throwers.
Up close you can see shapes made up of lines in them also.
<div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:140px; height:120px;"><img class="inline_img fake_0.614583333333" id="zoomer_70993_27884iip_loading" src="http://www.artsconnected.org/media/f7/ca/730e6e88ed9feae2ac3388f81b17/140/120/70993.jpg" class="iip_loading" title="" alt="Spear Thrower (woomera), Artist Unknown (Aborigine)" height_offset="0" /></div>