Amazon.com description: Product Description: This major reference work provides pertinent information on the art of Africa, Oceania and native North America. Many reference works treat symbolism and iconography in Western art and culture yet, until now, little attention has been paid to these rich artistic traditions in native art. Entries on each geographical area discuss the art of the region and, through cross-references, lead the reader to additional geographical subdivisions and individual cultures. The major art forms for each culture - including worldview, religion, and society - are treated in detail. Broad subjects, such as rites of passage, are treated in the general entries. These entries address universal motifs and themes such as: the centre, the layered universe, the four/six directions and architecture as a symbol of the cosmos. Other major issues included here are: colour, the role of animals in art, colour symbolism and the symbolism of the various parts of the human body. The reference also details the reciprocal impact of colonization on native art and native art on modern Western art.