Malagasy Textiles
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First Edition
(Shire Ethnography)
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Shire Publications (1989).
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Softcover Book
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Text from the Back Cover
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Malagasy Textiles: The large island of Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean facing the coast of Africa. However, it is not a distinctively African island. Amongst those who originally settled there were peoples from south-east Asia as well as from the nearby continent, and the language and culture of Madagascar reflect this diversity of influences. Its textile traditions are particularly complex and interesting. This book surveys the rich variety, discussing the range of materials used in weaving, explaining the technologies involved, and examining the often highly elaborate patterning found on many Malagasy textiles. Apart from use as clothing, textiles are also used as shrouds for the dead and are seen most spectacularly during the elaborate second burial ceremonies. These historical and anthropological aspects provide additional themes that run through the book.
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About the Author (from the Back Cover)
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John Mack is Keeper of the British Museum's Museum of Mankind where he has held curatorial responsibility for the collections from Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. He has degrees in both history and social anthropology from the universities of Sussex and Oxford, where he received his doctorate in 1975. Dr Mack first undertook research in Madagascar in 1984 and has since completed a number of field trips to the island. He is also the organiser of a large exhibition about Madagascar which has been shown in both London and New York. Although his work has not been exclusively in the field of textiles he has an established interest in the subject and has collected both original field data and examples of Malagasy textiles. Amongst other publications, Dr Mack is co-author or African Textiles (1979) and wrote Madagascar, Island of the Ancestors (1986).
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About the Series (from the Back Cover)
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Shire Ethnography: This series is intended for students of ethnography and the interested layman. Each book, written by an expert and with many illustrations, deals with a specific ethnographic subject.
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Contents
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- List of Illustrations
- Introduction
- Raw Materials
- Weavers and Looms
- Decorative Techniques
- The Significance of Textiles
- Museums
- Further Reading
- Index
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Notes
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Condition of Item
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Very good.
Refer to the glossary for definitions of terms used to describe the condition of items.
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Categories
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