Research Catalog
Santa Cruz Island figure sculpture and its social and ritual contexts
- Title
- Santa Cruz Island figure sculpture and its social and ritual contexts / William H. Davenport.
- Author
- Davenport, William H., 1922-2004.
- Publication
- Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, [2005], ©2005.
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2 Items
| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text | Request in advance | DU850 .D38 2005 | Off-site | |
Not available - Please for assistance. | Text | Use in library | Off-site |
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Details
- Additional Authors
- University of Pennsylvania. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
- Description
- xiii, 231 pages : illustrations, map; 24 cm +
- Summary
- "In the ethnographic study of traditional sculpture from Santa Cruz Island (Nendo) in the southwest Pacific, the late anthropologist William H. Davenport presents a distinctive genre of figurative carvings produced for and used in traditional religious rituals and ceremonies. Santa Cruz Island, part of the Solomon Islands nation, lies in the ethnographic region called Melanesia." "The book begins with the history of Santa Cruz Island society since the first Europeans came to the area in 1595, and records the distinctive characteristics of the culture. Included are meticulous descriptions of Nendo's sacred objects, unique red-feather currency, and ceremonial dances and rituals. An engaging transcription of oral myths relayed by local informants reveals how Santa Cruz believers distinguished, celebrated, and communicated with their deities." "The extensive catalogue entries cover 55 specimens of Santa Cruz Island sculpture, with black and white photographs of each. Since this is the first text to present this sculpture tradition, all figures discovered in the future will be judged against this corpus of authenticated originals. Figures that have long stood mute in many of the world's museums are now given voice through Davenport's text." "The 72 color photographs by the author on the accompanying CD illustrate life as it was lived on Santa Cruz before independence in 1978, recording a culture which is barely now remembered by the descendants of those who created it. These illustrations provide a visual context for the sculptures and the ceremonies surrounding their worship."--BOOK JACKET.
- Subject
- Bibliography (note)
- Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-224) and index.
- Contents
- 1. The collectors -- 2. Iconography and style -- 3. Worship and ritual -- 4. The Santa Cruz Island world view : cultural assumptions and mythology -- 5. Myths of the Santa Cruz Island Dukna.
- ISBN
- 1931707812 (hbk. with accompanying CD : alk. paper)
- LCCN
- 2005014144
- OCLC
- ocm60426967
- SCSB-5220209
- Owning Institutions
- Columbia University Libraries