Anthony's Feast: The Gift in Abelam Aesthetics

In this essay I take up a major theme in the work of Anthony Forge: the relationship between word and image. Focusing on the problem of what the Abelam say (or do not say) about the design elements in masculine initiation rites, I explore the relationship between language and the exchange relations...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Australian journal of anthropology 2001-08, Vol.12 (2), p.155-165
Main Author: Losche, Diane
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abelam
Aesthetics
Age groups, initiation
Anthropology
Behavior
Design
Ethnology
Forge, Anthony
Indigenous people
Indigenous peoples
Initiation
Initiation rites
Initiations (into trades, societies, etc.)
Language
Language and languages
Men
Papua New Guinea
Rites & ceremonies
Ritual
Social structure
Social structure and social relations
Words
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Summary:In this essay I take up a major theme in the work of Anthony Forge: the relationship between word and image. Focusing on the problem of what the Abelam say (or do not say) about the design elements in masculine initiation rites, I explore the relationship between language and the exchange relations that are involved in the ceremony. While the Abelam have no explicit way of explaining the design elements, initiation involves a constructed and aestheticised use of language. This lecture will investigate the word/image nexus from this viewpoint.
ISSN:1035-8811
1757-6547
DOI:10.1111/j.1835-9310.2001.tb00302.x