Author: John Emigh, 1996. 326pgs. (English). Softcover
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, USA
This volume constitutes a substantive inquiry into masking traditions, deftly interweaving ethnographic observation with the author’s own theatrical praxis. Emigh interrogates the transformative potential of the mask, elucidating how its donning reconfigures the human self into an “other” across diverse cultural landscapes—most notably in Bali, Orissa (India), and Papua New Guinea. The study foregrounds the psychological and corporeal metamorphosis that occurs when an actor or ritual specialist steps behind the mask, thereby entering a liminal state in which identity is simultaneously concealed and reconstituted. The text is enriched by over one hundred illustrations, which serve not merely as visual supplements but as ethnographic evidence of the materiality and aesthetic diversity of masking traditions. By situating these practices within both ritual and performative contexts, the book bridges the often‑perceived divide between academic research and lived theatrical experience. Emigh’s approach resists reductive exoticism, offering instead respectful and nuanced descriptions that highlight the cultural logic and symbolic potency of masks as ritual instruments and theatrical devices. From a scholarly perspective, the work is notable for its methodological hybridity. While it leans heavily upon the author’s subjective engagement as a practitioner, this reflexive stance enhances its utility for theatre makers, anthropologists, and ethnographers alike. The text exemplifies how embodied experience can complement empirical documentation, yielding insights into the phenomenology of performance that purely objective data might overlook. In sum, the volume advances the study of masking traditions by articulating their dual function as psychological catalysts and cultural artifacts. It underscores the mask’s capacity to mediate between self and other, individual and community, corporeal presence and metaphysical realm. As such, it represents a valuable contribution to both performance studies and anthropological discourse, situating masking within a broader comparative framework of ritual transformation and theatrical embodiment.
Author: Judy Slattum, 1992. 131pgs. (English). Softcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco, USA
This volume constitutes a visually arresting and intellectually rigorous exploration of Balinese masked theatre, situating its artistry within the island’s cosmological worldview. More than fifty full‑page portraits are accompanied by ethnographic commentary, underscoring the mask’s role as a mediator between the human and divine realms. The text foregrounds the dynamic expressivity and masterful craftsmanship of sacred and secular wooden masks, while elucidating their transformation within the four principal dance‑drama traditions. In these ritual contexts, masks transcend their materiality, becoming vessels through which ancestral spirits and deities are embodied. Their activation in temple ceremonies and calendrical festivals reflects the Balinese principle of sekala–niskala—the interplay between the visible and invisible worlds. Cosmologically, masks embody the doctrine of Tri Hita Karana, the threefold harmony between humanity, nature, and the divine. As ritual agents, they sustain equilibrium by channeling spiritual forces into communal life. The cyclical rhythms of masked performance mirror cosmic cycles, dramatizing mythic narratives that reaffirm the balance of order and chaos. In this sense, the mask is not merely a theatrical device but a cosmological instrument, reinforcing the sacred interdependence of all existence. Equally significant is the documentation of the carving process and the communal ethos surrounding these objects. Village communities regard masks as living entities—honored ancestors and spirit guardians—whose presence ensures protection and continuity. This perspective situates the mask at the nexus of material culture and metaphysical belief, embodying both tangible artistry and intangible cosmological philosophy. By bridging fine art photography with cultural anthropology, the volume demonstrates profound respect for Balinese Hinduism and local traditions. Its curated selection privileges interpretive depth over exhaustive cataloguing, emphasizing the cosmological potency of masks as ritual mediators rather than reducing them to static ethnographic specimens.
Author: Mattiebelle Gittinger, 1982, 207pg. (English). Softcover. Catalog
Publisher: The Textile Museum, Washington DC, USA
This seminal work on the master dyers of India has attained the status of a classic and continues to serve as a foundational reference for textile scholars worldwide. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. in 1982, the volume bears the same title as the exhibition itself. The artifacts presented originated from India’s historic trade textile corpus, dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, and were recovered through both surface finds and archaeological excavations at al-Fustat, the site of Egypt’s ancient capital. Thirty-five exemplary textiles from the Fustat Collection were selected for display. Beyond its documentation of the dyers’ artistry at Fustat, the book expands its scope to encompass chapters on master dyers situated both east and west of India, thereby situating Indian textile traditions within a broader global context. The volume concludes with extensive pictorial supplements, which visually reinforce the scholarly analyses and provide readers with a vivid appreciation of the technical and aesthetic achievements of these artisans.
Author: Roy Hamilton & B. Lynne Milgram (editors), 2007, 187pg. (English), Softcover. T The Fowler Museum, Textiles Series no.7
Publisher: Fowler Museum at UCLA, Berkeley, California
The volume accompanies an exhibition of the same title, presented in the Fowler Museum’s gallery from August 26 through December 30, 2007. It comprises eight scholarly essays that investigate the preservation, revitalization, and creative reinvention of weaving traditions employing plant-based fibers such as ramie, hemp, and abaca across diverse Asian and Pacific regions. The essays examine, among others, the hemp textiles of the Hmong in Vietnam; Ulap Doyo weaving in Kalimantan; Sambe, the hemp fabrics of Korea; lotus fibers used in the attire of Buddhist monks; Bashofu, the fiber tradition of Okinawa, Japan; bast-fiber textiles of the Upland Philippines; Japan’s Echigo Jōfu and Nara Sarashi; and the revival of the sacred Machi weaving from Fais Island in Micronesia.
Author: Alexander Un Usfinit, 2003. 227pgs. (Indonesian). Softcover.
Publisher: Penerbit Kanisius, Yogyakarta
The volume stands as a foundational work in anthropology, offering a richly detailed ethnographic exploration of the Insana people of West Timor, Indonesia. It examines social stratification, customs, and kinship systems with remarkable precision, mapping out the complex caste-like hierarchies that define Insana society. Nobility, commoners, and traditional leaders are each given clear roles within this structure, while lineage, clan networks (fatu-nao), and matrimonial alliances emerge as central forces shaping inheritance and social order. Beyond social organization, the author documents oral traditions, rituals, and myths that sustain the community’s bond with ancestral lands and cosmological beliefs. This careful preservation of intangible heritage makes the text invaluable to anthropologists and historians, offering a rare, localized perspective on eastern Indonesian highland societies—communities often overlooked in broader studies. While the book is a treasure for scholars of Timorese culture, its style leans toward the density of an academic thesis or anthropological monograph. For general readers seeking a lighter, narrative-driven account, the text may feel somewhat demanding, though its insights remain profoundly rewarding.
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