Tribal art is found in a variety of media that include jewelry, woodcarvings and clay sculptures. Tattoos and body decorations, baskets, pots and perishable arts such as sand and body paintings are also considered tribal art, as well as the art on tools, clothing, weapons, methods of transportation, dwellings, caves and leather hides.
According to H. Gene Blocker, in the “Aesthetics of Primitive Art,” other tribal members view the tribal artist as an eccentric, special or “socially alienated within the indigenous context.” Much like the shaman, the artist is revered for his special abilities. Blocker categorizes tribal art’s characteristics as aesthetically interesting, sensual or imaginative, representing the mythological or real world symbolically or literally and possibly involving “novelty within tradition.”
Tribal art embodies deep symbolism, both for its people and the artist. Representative of daily or spiritual life, its aesthetic qualifies include color, order and balance, and imaginative representation. Its symbolism holds meaning in the real or mythological world; each piece of art involves thoughtful consideration, artisanship and a stylistic signature of the tribe itself.
In some Polynesian cultures, only the elite artists are allowed to practice the art – such as in carving – but in others, such as in Melanesia, any man can carve. Shamans and apprentices create specific art for use in religious, ceremonial or spiritual settings to aid the shaman in his work of healing. Select pieces of tribal art, used in these ways, are often worth more when sold on the open market.
Polynesians carve their boats, their dwellings and weapons. Africans create ceremonial masks, wood carvings, rock paintings and engravings. Aborigines adorn themselves and papyrus with detailed line drawings as well as painting cave and rock drawings. North American Pacific Indians make detailed button blankets, shawls and totems. Hopi Indians are well known for their traditional silver jewelry, while Miwok Indians of Yosemite are known for their basket weaving.