Name/Title
Objects as envoys : cloth, imagery, and diplomacy in MadagascarEntry/Object ID
NK8888.9.M3.O25Description
In 1886, Queen Ranavalona III of the African island nation of Madagascar offered U.S. President Grover Cleveland two striking handwoven silk textiles. The American government later reciprocated with an autographed photographic portrait of the president. Although on the surface a straightforward diplomatic exchange, the objects used--and the ideas behind them--reveal a wealth of information about the culture and history of Madagascar, and its relations with the West.The essays in Objects as Envoys contextualize and explain the broader significance of this exchange, deftly interweaving discussions of cloth production, international diplomacy, and popular representations of Madagascar and the Malagasy people in Europe and the United States. Together they tell a fascinating story of the people and history of this island country. The first two essays provide a comprehensive survey of Madagascar's textiles, past and present. They examine the importance of cloth to the Malagasy, both as creative works of art and as objects imbued with great social and cultural significance. From simple cotton wrappers and raffia work shirts to delicately textured, vibrantly colored silk lama, textiles--the quintessential Malagasy gift--have been used in Madagascar to mark ethnic and gender identity, to indicate status and power relations, to create and renegotiate social ties, to serve as tribute to the dead, and to promote diplomatic overtures to foreign nations. When used as envoys, however, objects are likely to acquire new meanings, as recipients re-interpret and use them according to their own cultural understandings.Collection
Carol Westfall CollectionLexicon
Search Terms
carol westfall collection, textile fabrics--madagascar, textile fabrics--social aspectsBook Details
Author
Christine Mullen Kreamer, Sarah FeePublisher
University of Washington PressDate Published
2002Call No.
NK8888.9.M3.O25ISBN
295981962, 9780295981963LCCN
2001057667Notes
Length: 205