The Tribal Eye

Episodes

One installment explores the Dogon of Mali, focusing on their masks and the ceremonies surrounding them. After a short look at Dogon life, the program draws connections between African art and European artists like Picasso and Braque. Viewers watch Dogon blacksmiths carve a sculpture and a monkey mask for an elderly woman's funeral. The funeral itself is shown in detail, featuring masked dancers and a staged mock battle.

Another episode, "Crooked Beak of Heaven," examines the art of the Pacific Northwest Coast's Indigenous peoples, including the Haida, Gitxsan, and Kwakwaka'wakw. It features renowned carver Bill Reid explaining the meanings behind stylized designs, along with clips from Edward S. Curtis's early films. The program also covers potlatch feasts.

Further episodes look at the ancient Aztecs and Incas, the old African kingdom of Benin, and the bronze artworks from that kingdom in modern-day Nigeria. One segment covers the nomadic Qashqai of Iran, highlighting their carpet-making traditions and the unique patterns of different clans. Another focuses on tribal groups in Melanesia. A final program returns to several earlier locations to examine how contemporary artists and collectors interact with these societies' art and artists, and whether these relationships help or harm older traditions.