The pieces were collected over a 100-year period, beginning in the first half of the 19th century, by a dedicated group of explorers, wealthy adventurers, and traders, among them James Cook, Duke Paul of Wurttenberg, and Franz Boas. It is a stunning and important collection, in part because the pieces were collected so early in the encounter between Europeans and Native Americans. However, space limitations have kept the collection in storage and away from scholars and the general public since the end of the Second World War.

This book brings the collection's treasures to an international audience. Organized by sections on the major cultural areas -- including the Eastern Woodlands, Prairie and Plains, Southwest, California, Plateau and Great Basin, Northwest Coast, Subarctic, and Arctic -- the incisive text is supplemented by color photographs of the objects and historical photographs. The book concludes with a chapter on contemporary Native American art and its role in bridging the distance between Native cultures and the dominant society.