The first art historical study of Yoruba-descended, African
Brazilian religious art based on an author's long-term
participation in and observation of private and public rituals.
At a time when the art of the African diaspora has aroused much
general interest for its multicultural dimensions, Mikelle Smith
Omari-Tunkara contributes strikingly rich insights as a
participant/observer in the African-based religions of Brazil. She
focuses on the symbolism and function of ritual objects and
costumes used in the Brazilian candomble (miniature "African"
environments or temples) of the Bahia region, which combine Yoruba,
Bantu/Angola, Caboclo, Roman Catholic, and/or Kardecist/Spiritist
elements. An initiate herself with more than twenty years of study,
the author is considered an insider, and has witnessed how
practitioners manipulate the "sacred" to encode, in art and ritual,
vital knowledge about meaning, values, epistemologies, and history.
She demonstrates how this manipulation provides Brazilian
descendents of slaves with a sense of agency -- with a link to
their African heritage and a locus for resistance to the dominant
Euro-Brazilian culture.
Manipulating the Sacred will be of value to students of art
history, religion, anthropology, African American studies, and
Latin American studies, and to the growing English-speaking
community of initiates of African-based religions.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!