The American Indian Parfleche, A Tradition Of Abstract Painting.

GAYLORD TORRENCE

Publication: Univ of WA Press, 1994, Seattle

First edition. Cloth, 272pp. Profusely illustrated, many in color. "The parfleche - a container of folded or sewn rawhide elaborated with painted designs on the exposed surfaces constitutes one of the great traditions of abstract imagery created by American Indian artists. The author explains the origin and chronology of parfleches and examines their aesthetic and utilitarian function. These beautiful containers are most closely associated and probably originated with the peoples of the Great Plains, where they were integral to the nomadic way of life, providing a means to store and transport a family's food and possessions. They were made by women from more than forty tribes, and their richly associative and symbolic painted images gave visual expression to the artists' personal and cultural lives." A beautiful production, this outstanding study presents 127 of the finest parfleches to be found in public and private collections. Most of the pieces are previously unpublished and virtually unknown. Fine, in dust jacket.

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