...Body Art and Ornamentation: Different Cultures Angel Torres ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Dr. Marissa Kesel June 29, 2014 Body Art and Ornamentation: Different Cultures For centuries, body art and ornamentation haves been in existence in many cultures around the world with each piece of art on the body having a symbolic meaning to one’s particular culture. Culture, as defined by Richley Crapo, is “a learned system of beliefs, feelings, and rules for living around which a group of people organize their lives; a way of life of a particular society” (Crapo, 2013). Some of these forms of body art that cultures represent consist of tattooing, piercing, painting, shaping, and scarring, all of which communicated a visual language to their people. Body art has significance within each culture that may translate as a relationship with their ancestors or peers, a protection against evil or a meaning of good luck, and an expression as someone’s status of individuality. Decorating the body until present day is a way of communicating. In some way it sends a perception to others who you are and to which group you may be a part of. Every society has many different forms of expressing body art used by people. A person’s body art can represent their beliefs, gender, power, and hierarchy. Decoration of the body to some may seem more attractive to people when displayed in a certain part of their body. For the purpose of this paper, body art of two different cultures...
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...Body Art and Ornamentation across Cultures Sheryl Strickland ANT 101 Dr. Cynthia Livingston 08/05/2013 Body Art and Ornamentation across Cultures The skin has been a canvas for human expression for centuries. As a result, body art and ornamentation have been a source of interest among anthropologists beginning as early as the 1900’s, and gaining a strong foothold during the 1970’s. “Inscribed skin highlights an issue that has been central to anthropology since its inception: the question of boundaries between the individual and society, between societies, and between representations and experiences” (Schildkrout, 2004). Through anthropological research, we have learned that many cultures worldwide use forms of body art and ornamentation such as scarification, tattooing (permanent and nonpermanent), and piercings for a variety of reasons, ranging from ceremonial religious rituals to tribal identification purposes. The process of body art and ornamentation signifies a figurative death and rebirth that typically involves a painful experience as a means to encourage an individual’s self-discovery, as well as establishing his/her place in society. For the purpose of this paper, I will explore the various aspects of body art and ornamentation across three specific cultures- the Yoruba’s of West Africa, the Samoan’s of the Pacific Islands, and the Hindu’s of India. Throughout the history of African culture, anthropologists have noted a wide variety of body markings among African...
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...For a long time now body art and decoration has been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we have learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and nonpermanent tattooing, scarification, and piercings. These forms of body art and ornamentation are done for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. “Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaborated preoccupation in many cultures; it is also the subject of wide-ranging and evolving scholarly discourse in the humanities and social sciences” (Schildkrout, 2004). The process of ornamentation and body art is usually a painful experience, but it is a way to signify a person’s self-discovery and their place in society. In this paper, I will explore the different aspects of body art and ornamentation in two different cultures; the Maori people of New Zealand and the Yoruba’s of West Africa and explain the cultural importance of their art. Throughout West Africa it is not uncommon to come across people that have scar stripe patterns on their cheeks. The facial stripes that they wear are not produced by paint or tattoos, like many other cultures, but only by scarification. However, in his article, Orie explains that not all of the Yoruba people have the facial stripes. Okola is a term used for describing someone whose face is scarred, it means ‘the one with facial stripes’. People that...
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...In the United States, the older generation did not like body ornamentation because they think it is bizarre or abnormal. However, the younger generations is changing that today because they believe that it is a sign of meaning of self-expression. For example, people that have tattoos are trying to tell a story in the form of art and body piercing is a sexual expression. Likewise, other cultures around the world have been doing this for centuries. The African women will input rings around their necks and both sex will insert plates in their lips. Therefore, every culture practice these body ornamentation differently. Going back to the pages of history, tattoos in the early ages, were borne not for fashion. Instead, they were generally inscribed in body, essentially for the medicinal and spiritual qualities (iloveindia, n.d.). “While beadwork and jewelry are also frequently used as a means of beautification, there are a few types of body art that dominate. Body decoration and transformation occurs at set times in a person’s life and the decoration’s thought to enhance a person’s status and beauty” (Admin, 2010). In varies of cultures, tattoos and body piercing is the form of beauty and power because it reconfigures identity, sexuality, gender, and status. Africans and indians mark themselves for beauty, medical purpose, and protection from evil spirits. “Traditional tattooing in African culture is not a mere expression of one’s individuality. It’s a series of intricately...
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...Akhilaa Akurathi Heritage dress 1 Spirit of ornamentation. “The real ornament of a women is her character and purity”- Mahatma Gandhi Thru the history many great emperors led their empires through war and peace. But now it is women’s turn. Many great empresses, princess, queens have ornamented history. Through the golden ages of art, years of war women have changed the history of ornamenting themselves in various ways like beading, surface ornamentation and jewelry. Through the ages women is know for her purity and character which is real ornament for her to wear. Basing on this I had chosen Beading/ surface ornamentation as my component of clothing. My main focus is on surface ornamentation which started out in ancient Egyptian (3000-300B.C) as beaded collars and sheath dress, again it appeared in byzantine era (A.D 300-1450) with heavy ornamentation of precious stones around the front neck and hems which was similar to that of decorating the surface from Egyptian era. Surface Decoration first appeared as beaded collars in 4th Dynasty in the old kingdom of Egypt wore by both men and women for decorative and symbolic purpose. The evidence of using beads for surface decoration can be seen in the pictures of the Tutankhamen tomb. From that age, the skill of beading work was developed and used in ornaments and later on clothes like the beaded sheath dress. They strung beads together into wide, fan shaped necklaces called beaded collars. The collar was a favorite ornament...
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...Body Art across the Globe In this paper I will be discussing the differences in body art and ornamentation within three different cultures across the world. Each culture has a different way of defining their body art, whether it is with body paints, scarification, body piercing, body shaping, or tattooing. Each culture has different reasons and different ways of celebrating life, death, and aging within their tribe or group, each with a specific rite or traditional way of going about it. The cultures I will be going into are the culture of the Paduang women of Thailand, African tradition of scarification and the Polynesian style tattooing practiced among Samoan and Hawaiian cultures. In a small village just within the Thailand border, there is a group of women known as the Paduang celebrate their culture by wearing what modern western society would consider being bondage rings. Our society calls it neck-stretching but in reality what they are doing is placing brass rings around their neck from early ages such as 5 years old which push the collar bone and shoulders down to make their neck elongated looking. The custom involves adding an extra ring to their next every two years or so (Padaung Woman, 2013). Neck rings appeal to the men in their tribe and men in their tribes prefer to only marry women with neck rings. These neck rings often show status among their peers, however, it is estimated that in the next few generations that the practice will die out as more mothers choose...
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...Renaissance & Baroque Arts The Renaissance, also known as the period of “rebirth”, directly followed the Middle Ages. Some considered the Renaissance period as a bridge from the “Dark Ages” to the modern era or the “light”. This period in history lasted about four centuries—late 13th century to the early 17th century— featuring “a revival of classical art, literature, philosophy, architecture, and learning” and introduced some of “the finest artists and intellectual achievements in the history of the Western humanities” such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo Buonarroti (MindEdge, 2013). Renaissance art is traced back to Italy where artists and scholars looked to the ancient Greco-Roman culture for inspiration by reviving the language, values, and traditions that were lost after “the fall of the Roman Empire in the sixth century” (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). Furthermore, Renaissance artists added individuality to their works through portraying “beauty and mystery of the natural world” (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). Most of the art produced during this time showcased religious imagery, completed mostly as Catholic Mass altarpieces. Artists around these times were sponsored by patrons of the arts such as The Catholic Church and affluent families such as the Medici family in Florence. Political permanence, growing wealth, and technological advancements are some of the social conditions that may have contributed to the arts of the Renaissance era...
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...Art is the mirror of any culture and its worldly views. The art of Muslim world mirrors its social values and uncovers the way Muslims see the spiritual domain and the universe. Muslims all over the world embrace the identical system of belief and each one of them is well familiar with the spiritual connection regardless of nationwide, racial differences or conflicts. They consider themselves to be Muslim as a matter of paramount importance. This strong sense of identity and stability inclined en route for a high level of societal and richest artistic traditionalism. Islamic art has persistently validated its dimensions for the innovative reinterpretation of the existed forms of art and one of the innovations is Islamic Wall Art. Islamic wall art is conceivably the best accessible expression over and done with its brilliant usage of colors and its splendid sense of balance concerning Islamic designs and forms. It generates an instantaneous visual impression as well as strong...
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...intro fashion ruling every domain of life, definition of "modern fashion" by Lipov lipovertsky, simmel.. GENDER Barthes in his attempt for a semantics of fashion in The System of Fashion, applies the economic system that is brought to the fore by Karl Marx and consisting three categories of production, distribution and consumption to a social institution: fashion. Thus he defines 3 states of clothing: real clothing, represented garment and the used garment. Real clothing is the when the raw material is used and the clothing is first produced as a prototype for its later stages. This real clothing then is provided with a symbolic mise en scène and becomes the represented garment. The image of the cloth performs a mimetic function as well as making the garment into a pleasing sight, or a pleasant arrangement. The used garment is the clothing after its purchase which usually doesn't satisfy the reasons that the represented garment was bought for. Barthes argues that clothes change their meaning and went under transformation at each of these stages. In the case of fashion, the system that Barthes proposes would reveal that these stages of production, distribution and consumption take place all at different locations hence are separated and can take place one after another, moving from one place to other and transform their meanings. However, in the case of architecture, these stages take place all at the same site. There is but one site. After the building is constructed...
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...Romanesque is first used to describe the architecture of Western Europe from about the 9th to 12th century. It has become applied by extension to other arts, in particular sculpture. (click) Sculptures are mostly found inside or on the façade of churches such as tympanum and capitals of the columns. They are all very simple because they believe the soul (inside beauty) is more important than the body. Subject is usually Christian religion, the purpose of the sculpture is to illustrate the message of the Bible, teach stories to the illiterate. A favourite subject for the tympanum is the Last Judgement. The theme vividly reminds the pilgrims of the need of pious devotion. Click At the beginning of the Medieval era, Romanesque columns had all sorts of plants, animals and people intertwined in Gallic patterns. Then many capitals illustrate stories from the bible. click Then, there came the tympanum, then columns to each side, the figures of saints and sinners in stories on the façade of the main entrance. click These very early Romanesque carved figures are saints. Notice the distortions: they have rather blocky bodies made from flat, simple shapes with very large head and hands. Their feet are tiny, compared to their hands. Perspective is also distorted. The size of the figures would make them giants in relationship to the columns. click It also happens to the tympanum: The tympanum of St Trophime; The hands and arms are still very flat and awkward looking; the wings, legs...
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...the Paleolithic period is still very much unaccounted for. Archaeological digs have been going on for centuries across Europe and other important parts of the world, supporting the knowledge and theories archaeologists now know to create an understanding of our prehistoric world. The Upper Paleolithic is the last subdivision of the Paleolithic era and is known for its sudden progression of intricate stone artifacts, artistic expression and personal ornamentation. Nine major cultures have been associated with the Upper Paleolithic time period and the modern human. These cultures were some of the first to see humans using art and tools as a way of expression. They engraved animals onto their tools and used ornamentation as a way of status and heritage. Early Upper Paleolithic art originated in the Aurignacian culture of Europe around 40,000 years ago, and continued onto the Mesolithic period. The Aurignacian culture derives its name from the type site Aurignac, found in France and has the oldest known examples of figure art. These modern homo sapiens were known to have developed the Venus figures, stone statues that took on a womanly figure. The statues, archaeologists believe, were to be symbols of a mother...
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...Art History Term Paper “Leon Battista Alberti critiquing The Opéra in Paris by Charles Garnier” Art History 202 April 19, 2010 The Pennsylvania State University “A man can do all things if he but wills them”, is what I respond to people when they ask me how I come up with such amazing ideas for my buildings and books. My name is Leon Battista Alberti, and Architecture is my life. I was born in Genoa in 1404, which was during the Early Renaissance times. Even though I’m an architect, I have always been interested in other subjects such as math, music, painting, philosophy, sculptures, crafts, and artistic theories as well, which many would consider me as a Humanist during my times. Unlike many other architects who are interested in Greek architecture, I have a great interest in the future: in the reviving of Roman architecture. I even wrote a book called On the Art of Building in Ten Books, in which I cover a wide range of subjects from history to town planning and engineering to the philosophy of beauty. Many people have told me that I have been such an influential architect and that my buildings and philosophy will have a great impact in the architecture of the future, but never did I believe it was going to be that way. “What a better way to find out the truth, but by experiencing it by myself?” I thought, so I went to my close friend Leonardo Da Vinci, who invented a time machine to take me to the future, and this is where my adventure began… Figure 1: Avenue de...
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...their present intentions and emotional mod. All humans have the capacity for language. The brains of children are wired so that they start learning to speak any language. Both human beings and animals use systems of communication, what is unique in human beings is the use of open vocal systems and complex symbols. Communication in human beings and animals entails use of signals are gestures that possess meaning to those using it. For instance, human communication has symbols and signals. Symbols have specific meaning to various groups of individuals. Many primates spend their time mostly communicating to each other. They do so with sounds, smells visual messages, and even touching. Non-human primates mainly use body language .Human communication basically entails use of oral sounds. Our sound or what we speak is far much different from the hoots,...
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...style” is a matter of debate among historians. Some are of the view that dynastic labels should not be used. However, art historians like Harle say that in some cases, Gupta period. HINDU ART When it comes to Hindu art, Vidisha and Udayagiri were important art centres. Art seemed to have flourished in Vidisha during the reign of Ramagupta and Chandragupta II. The caves of Udayagiri constitute the earliest body of Hindu art in India. We can be sure about the dates for these caves because there is an inscription on the facade that refers to Chandragupta II and the year 82, which is corresponding to CE 401. The doorway of Cave 6 is decorated with jambs (vertical portion of the frame onto which a door is secured), lintels (load-bearing buiding component, a decorative architectural element), half-length pilasters (gives the appearance of supporting column, only ornamental fashion) and representations of 2 goddesses standing on makaras. In this case, the vahanas of both the goddesses are the same. The distinctiveness of the goddesses is apparent by the use of trees above the figures. The one on the left is associated with a mango tree and the one on the right with an asoka tree. On either side of the door there are guardian figures (dvarapalas) standing with the arm nearest to the door held at the hip, the other leaning on his weapon. Huntington says that their husky bodies and almost transparent lower garments are typical of the early Gupta style. Here one...
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...1 Kerala Mural Paintings Kerala: An Introduction According to mythology, Parasurama an incarnation of Vishnu, weary of long years of war and bloodshed decided to undertake a penance in the Western Ghats. Varuna, the God of water responded to his prayers and granted him a boon. Parasurama was asked to throw his axe and the area and distance covered by the axe would be his. Known for his strength and valour, Parasurama swung his axe with such power and might that it reached Kanyakumari. This strip of land covered by the axe came to be known as Kerala. Another creation myth narrates how Varuna raised lands from beneath the ocean and formed the region called Kerala. Politically a merging of three regions in 1956 Travancore, Cochin and Malabar, formed the state. In Sanskrit Kerala means, Land added on which is both mythically and geologically true of the origin of Kerala. Another opinion is that the name is derived from Kera, which means coconut in Malayalam. But there are also theories about the absence of coconut in Kerala, at that time. A more convincing view can be traced back to the Chera Dynasty. The Chera kings were referred to as Cheralan and Cheralatan. The Sanskrit word for Chera is Kera and alam means country. Thus the name Kerala or Keralam may have meant the country of the Cheras. Whatever the origin story may be, Kerala is truly Gods own country, as it is popularly known. Situated on the southwestern coast of the Indian sub continent, it has the Western Ghats...
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