Sunday 19 April 2020

Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection · The Met Museum

The cover of Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection, published by The Met · Books & Latte


Inspired by my studies, I chose the cover of Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection (2018) for this first blog entry in weeks. On this term, I took a course called 'Museums and Society: The Circus of Death?' in which we read about indigenous peoples, about museum work in the Native American communities of Hopi and Zuni, to name a few. Apart from reading textbooks and academic articles, I viewed conservation material on various museum websites and through my search I discovered this stunning publication by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection includes objects from more than fifty cultures across North America, spanning the era from before the European settlers to the early 20th century. The book provides insights into the art, culture, and daily life of indigenous communities.

Jacket illustration: a tunic and leggings detail by a Tlingit artist.

Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection
By Gaylord Torrence with Ned Blackhawk and Sylvia Yount
Hardback, 232 pages, illustrated
ISBN: 9781588396624
Metropolitan Museum of Art


A detail of a man's coat, ca. 1820, Innu (Naskapi), Native American/The Met
A man's coat, ca. 1820, Innu (Naskapi), Native American/The Met

A detail of a man's coat, ca. 1820, Innu (Naskapi), Native American/The Met
Man's coat, ca. 1820, Innu (Naskapi), Native American/The Met

In December when I shared my first book cover entry I honestly thought I could use this category to keep my blog alive during my studies. I have come to realise it's impossible to do so when dealing with endless assignment deadlines on top of getting through the reading material for each lecture. There are periods when it feels as if one hardly comes up for air.

The cover of Museum as Process, edited by Raymond A. Silverman · Lisa Stefan

It has been a strange term because of the coronavirus pandemic. The term is almost over and here in Austria, they have started to loosen the lockdown. Unfortunately, museums are still closed so my hopes of working as an intern this summer are gone. But the good news is that no one close to me has been infected by COVID-19 and I hope the same goes for my blog readers. Stay safe!

bottom image by me, appeared on Instagram 14/01/2020 | Tailored garment via The Met