America's Traditional Crafts.(Brief Article)

Robert Shaw. Hugh Lauter Levin (Macmillan, dist.), $75 until Dec. 31, then $95 (320p) ISBN 0-88363-693-X This astonishing survey of American crafts from the early 1800s to the present reveals that craft objects often achieve fine-art levels of beauty, sophistication and originality. The focus is on functional objects, including intricate works in wrought iron, shorebird decoys, furniture, musical instruments, pantry boxes, rugs, stoneware, scrimshaw, leatherwork, Shaker tools and baskets, Amish quilts and Native American moccasins, dresses and quillwork. …