“East-West, West-East”: Cultural Transmission and Exchange of Yorùbá Religious Wood-Carvings between Ọ̀yó̩, Sábẹ and Ifè̩-Ana

In the early part of the 18th century, and at the height of its political power, the old Òyọ́ ̩ Empire established its hegemony over Sábẹ, Benin Republic, and new Yorùbá communities were founded in Sábẹ. Yorùbá communities also exist at Ifè̩-Ana in the Atakpame region of Togo. The Ifè̩-Ana Yorùbá were migrants from Ilé-Ifè between the 16 ̩ th and 18th centuries. In these new Yorùbá communities, the people continued with the worship of traditional Yorùbá religion and the use of wood-carvings for this worship. This study employs historical and ethnographic methods to establish the presence of traditional Yorùbá religion in Òyọ́ ̩, Sábẹ and Ifè̩-Ana. It then identifies and classifies extant Yorùbá wood-carving paraphernalia in the worship of Ifá, Ṣàngó, Egúngún, Gẹlẹdẹ, and Ìbejì that were transferred from Ò ́ yọ́ ̩ to Sábẹ and Ifè̩-Ana. The study observes a cultural interrelationship moving from east to west and west to east among the communities.

Hei tiki: He whakamārama hōu

<p>This thesis addresses the problem that while hei tiki are the most culturally iconic of Māori adornments, there still remains much uncertainty concerning their origins, lineage of development and cultural use. A collections-based study investigates these areas of uncertainty in search of new mana-enhancing understandings. A position developed in the review is that hei tiki were probably highly developed stylistically from the outset to conform to adze-shaped pieces of pounamu, with the common hei tiki style likely appearing and rising to prominence quickly. A case is argued for local conventions of style exerting an early and ongoing influence upon the stylistic diversity and development of hei tiki, with a close relationship with wood carving appearing likely. The mana of hei tiki derived from the agency of prolonged ancestral use is investigated in relation to the view that, while hei tiki making and use probably reached their height in the early 19th century, a significant portion may have been made as European trade items. The manifestation of indigenous agency is a reoccurring theme investigated in this thesis and is argued to have implications for the mana of hei tiki. Features of hei tiki belonging to the early contact period 1769-1777 and to a general sample of 50 hei tiki from the Te Papa collection were recorded and enabled shape, style, pounamu and wear analysis. The results indicate that by 1769-1777 the adze shape was common amongst hei tiki, the most common style predominated, conventional proportions and most of the stylistic features apparently common to hei tiki in general had been established. Supporting evidence is found for a trend of increasing hei tiki size over time, and for hei tiki making and use having peaked in the early 19th century. Shape-to-size analysis also indicates early origins and continuity for the adze-shaped hei tiki. Furthermore pounamu and wear analysis results indicate that hei tiki continued to be used primarily by Māori. Overall the results are interpreted as supporting or being consistent with the arguments developed in the literature review and they are held to be mana-enhancing for hei tiki.</p>

Hei tiki: He whakamārama hōu

<p>This thesis addresses the problem that while hei tiki are the most culturally iconic of Māori adornments, there still remains much uncertainty concerning their origins, lineage of development and cultural use. A collections-based study investigates these areas of uncertainty in search of new mana-enhancing understandings. A position developed in the review is that hei tiki were probably highly developed stylistically from the outset to conform to adze-shaped pieces of pounamu, with the common hei tiki style likely appearing and rising to prominence quickly. A case is argued for local conventions of style exerting an early and ongoing influence upon the stylistic diversity and development of hei tiki, with a close relationship with wood carving appearing likely. The mana of hei tiki derived from the agency of prolonged ancestral use is investigated in relation to the view that, while hei tiki making and use probably reached their height in the early 19th century, a significant portion may have been made as European trade items. The manifestation of indigenous agency is a reoccurring theme investigated in this thesis and is argued to have implications for the mana of hei tiki. Features of hei tiki belonging to the early contact period 1769-1777 and to a general sample of 50 hei tiki from the Te Papa collection were recorded and enabled shape, style, pounamu and wear analysis. The results indicate that by 1769-1777 the adze shape was common amongst hei tiki, the most common style predominated, conventional proportions and most of the stylistic features apparently common to hei tiki in general had been established. Supporting evidence is found for a trend of increasing hei tiki size over time, and for hei tiki making and use having peaked in the early 19th century. Shape-to-size analysis also indicates early origins and continuity for the adze-shaped hei tiki. Furthermore pounamu and wear analysis results indicate that hei tiki continued to be used primarily by Māori. Overall the results are interpreted as supporting or being consistent with the arguments developed in the literature review and they are held to be mana-enhancing for hei tiki.</p>

"Ko Wai te Ingoa o Tenei Whare?" Architecture and Māori Identity

<p>The whare whakairo or traditional Māori meeting house plays an important part in Māori society and identity. These whare tell the tale of their origin, and in so doing, the origins of their people. The analysis of the meeting house, the histories expressed in its decorative carvings and structural elements are inextricably linked with and dependent upon the structure of the world created by myth and the Māori worldview. However, due to the deleterious effects of colonisation, the art of wood carving and associated architectural practices - central to Māori identity, suffered decline in many parts of the country, leading to the decline of Māori culture and identity. Sir Apirana Ngata instigated the National Institute of Māori Arts and Crafts to resurrect the dying art of Māori carving and carved houses would be a catalyst for the restoration of Māori culture throughout the country. Ngata saw these whare whakairo as being the heart of Māori communities by establishing a renewed sense of belonging and identification with space for Māori, through the telling of tribal histories and emphasising key geographical features. New threats in the form of global hegemony and urbanisation have further impacted on Māori notions of identity, creating a generation of displaced urban Māori youth. This research proposes to establish an architectural response to capture displaced Māori youth through the resurrection of the Māori carving school and return to them the lost stories of their cultural history and identity. This program will be developed within the complex challenges that exist within post-earthquake Ōtautahi/Christchurch, where many have lost homes and livelihoods, especially Māori youth in the Eastern Suburbs. The building elements of the proposed Māori carving school give reference to the historio-cultural features of the original Ōtautahi/Christchurch landscape that are situated in tribal song and myth. It is envisioned that the development of a Māori carving school will help restore Māori identity and a renewed sense of belonging, and allow for the telling of this generations stories through traditional narratives.</p>

"Ko Wai te Ingoa o Tenei Whare?" Architecture and Māori Identity

<p>The whare whakairo or traditional Māori meeting house plays an important part in Māori society and identity. These whare tell the tale of their origin, and in so doing, the origins of their people. The analysis of the meeting house, the histories expressed in its decorative carvings and structural elements are inextricably linked with and dependent upon the structure of the world created by myth and the Māori worldview. However, due to the deleterious effects of colonisation, the art of wood carving and associated architectural practices - central to Māori identity, suffered decline in many parts of the country, leading to the decline of Māori culture and identity. Sir Apirana Ngata instigated the National Institute of Māori Arts and Crafts to resurrect the dying art of Māori carving and carved houses would be a catalyst for the restoration of Māori culture throughout the country. Ngata saw these whare whakairo as being the heart of Māori communities by establishing a renewed sense of belonging and identification with space for Māori, through the telling of tribal histories and emphasising key geographical features. New threats in the form of global hegemony and urbanisation have further impacted on Māori notions of identity, creating a generation of displaced urban Māori youth. This research proposes to establish an architectural response to capture displaced Māori youth through the resurrection of the Māori carving school and return to them the lost stories of their cultural history and identity. This program will be developed within the complex challenges that exist within post-earthquake Ōtautahi/Christchurch, where many have lost homes and livelihoods, especially Māori youth in the Eastern Suburbs. The building elements of the proposed Māori carving school give reference to the historio-cultural features of the original Ōtautahi/Christchurch landscape that are situated in tribal song and myth. It is envisioned that the development of a Māori carving school will help restore Māori identity and a renewed sense of belonging, and allow for the telling of this generations stories through traditional narratives.</p>

Mammoth tusk jewelry in the Yakut culture: retrospective analysis and current state

This article is dedicated to the history of making jewelry from mammoth tusk in the Yakut culture. The hypothesis is advanced that Yakut mammoth tusk carving stems from the local traditions of wood carving and scrimshaw, and represents the raw material for making household items for the local population, and use of tusk as a raw material is associated with the appearance of the first professional scrimshaw craftsmen in Yakutia. The first part of the article examines the history of tusk carving and the prerequisites for the emergence of the new direction in jewelry. The second part of the article describes the peculiarities of making mammoth tusk jewelry in the modern Yakut culture. The current problems of taking, sale and use of mammoth tusk are relevant topics in the scientific discourse. However, jewelry and souvenirs from mammoth tusk, as well as the origins of modern scrimshaw in Yakutia have not previously become the subject of special research. For giving a better perspective on the problem the author interviewed the Soviet and contemporary artisans. It is established that influence of the Soviet scrimshaw school is still traced in modern neo-mythologized representations. The pliability of the material and availability of the raw materials for the Yakut craftsmen substantiated the popularity of the mammoth tusk and its adaptability to modern fashion trends.

THE ROLE OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DYNASTY IBRAGIMOVS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TASHKENT WOOD CARVING SCHOOL

This article analyzes the specific methods and directions of wood carving in Tashkent. In addition, the activities of the schools of Tashkent, Ferghana, Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva were studied in the schools of wood carving and decorative arts of Uzbekistan. These schools share many technical, methodological, and compositional similarities as well as differences.On its basis, the technical, methodological and compositional aspects of the Tashkent school and the activities of representatives of the Ibragimov dynasty were comprehensively studied

The Sky, Sun, Moon and Stars in The Renaissance Churches Wood Carving from Southwestern Bulgaria (Semantic aspects)

The study presents images of the sky, sun, moon and stars in Christian art from Southwestern Bulgaria. Emphasis is placed on the semantics of the images and the cultural and historical layers in them. The author has studied the connection between the images of the celestial bodies and the beliefs about them from the Bulgarian folk mythology.