Share the story of what Open Access means to you
University of Michigan needs your feedback to better understand how readers are using openly available ebooks. You can help by taking a short, privacy-friendly survey.
The Making of Bamana Sculpture: Creativity and Gender
Sarah C. Brett-Smith
Open Access
The Making of Bamana Sculpture describes both the techniques and the rituals used by Bamana blacksmiths in Mali, West Africa, when they carve sacred sculpture. Chronicling the process of decision-making that results in a commission, it provides a detailed account of the carving process and also analyses the meaning of this process. Sarah Brett-Smith demonstrates that Bamana sculptors compare the process of producing a ritual object both to sexual intercourse and to childbirth. Her study details how Bamana sculptors become 'great' artists, how this process requires a shift from a 'male' to a 'female' gender identity, and why the Bamana believe that the ambitious artist must make tragic sacrifices to win renown.
Citable Link
Published: 1994
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- 9780521444842 (hardcover)
- 9781628201352 (ebook)