INTRO:
To design my exhibit, I spent time researching initiation processes of various cultures, African and otherwise.
The more I learned about the Jo society and its initiation, the more it reminded me of inclusion processes in groups that I know very well: Harvard fraternities and sororities, "comp" processes and hazing in various clubs, or even a brit milah to welcome a baby boy into the Jewish community. I became interested in rituals of initiation and the tools and objects associated with them. I found that no continent is devoid of societies that perform rites of initiation, and I became very interested in this trans-cultural phenomenon and its aesthetic.
Therefore, the title of my exhibit is:
INITIATION AND ITS TOOLS: INCLUSION ACROSS THE GLOBE
AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
I felt very strongly that initiation tools should be the focus of my exhibit, but as I searched for objects to include, I was surprised to find that it was very difficult to find these sorts of objects catalogued in official existing colletions. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History contained none from my selected cultures, and other objects from the described cultures were not accompanied by photos, so I did not include them. The Peabody Online Collections Catalogue also did not reflect possession of any such objects.
Therefore, you will notice that the photographs I included are often images from field research, rather than photographs from a museum collection. I realize that this implies that my exhibit would be far more anthropologically focused than art-historically focused. However, just because the objects portrayed do not appear to have yet been analyzed from an art-historical perspective does not mean that they are not prime objects for this sort of analysis.
As usual, the conflict of utility vs. aesthetic was a relevant one in the research I did for this project. I wanted to acknowledge this struggle at the beginning of my analysis, not to dismiss it, but to posit that the images below do not reflect a lack of potential for artistic analysis, to complement and supplement what may seem like more anthropological or ethnographic musings.
THE OBJECTS:
My object
A Jo Initiation Figure
Source: Peabody Museum Collections
A 1920's sign collected by the National Museum of American History from Brooklyn, NY.
It belonged to a knife shop owned by Joseph and David Miller.
The top left objects are a circumcision knife an shield.
A circumcision is a way of initiating an 8-day-old Jewish baby boy into the Jewish community.
Naghol land diving -- Tower and Vine
On Pentecost Island in the South Pacific, Naghol tribe members initiate their men by inviting them to participate in a yam harvest ritual that involves bungee jumping from a tower up to 90 feet high.
One hope for my exhibit would be to include a miniature replica of this tower and potentially a preserved vine. I would be very interested to analyze the tower for its architectural qualities.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/2602520/10-top-world-festivals.html?image=3
Sepik Cutting Patterns
Multiple tribes along the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea initiate their men by cutting into their skin with razor blades, giving it a crocodilian texture.
The tools use for this process are less interesting than the patterns themselves; it appears that a common razor blade (as seen in Western razors) is the tool of choice.
These patterns are fascinatingly beautiful, for although they are meant to replicate the texture of crocodile skin, they are intricately detailed and often resemble geographical or zoological features from nature. I would love for my exhibit to include a series of photographs of these various patterns and explanations/analyses of their meanings.
Source: http://www.majorwageratsea.com/Blackwater0409.htm
Mentawai Tooth Chisel
In Sumatra, females in Mentawaian communities are initiated into womanhood through a process of tooth-chiseling, to sharpen their teeth and make them more attractive to men.
The tools used to chisel the teeth are specifically designed and ornamented, and in my exhibit I would include a few for analysis.
Source: http://www.mobile-media.nl/video/teeth-chiseling/
Xhosa circumcision tools: Goat skin, Swadi, Isichwe
Male circumcision is by no means limited to Jewish communities. The Xhosa community in particular initiates its men with circumcision. In this photo are three interesting artifacts: a bandage fashioned from goat skin, swadi (to treat bleeding), and isichwe (used as an antiseptic). The medicines are clearly adorned, and an artistic analysis of their decorations would fit perfectly into my exhibit.
Sabiny Female Circumcision Tools
Multiple communities initiate their young girls into womanhood with female circumcision, or female genital mutilation. Much like in the Sepik cutting ritual, it looks like Western tools might be used in this process, as the picture implies. However, I would be interested to collect some of these tools to see if they are adorned in any way. I would also be interested to collect garments and jewelry from the surgeon, the young girl, and the onlookers to analyze for significance.
Not surprisingly, however, most literature on this subject does not focus on an art-historical analysis of the tools, but rather on a call for action to put an end to this painful ordeal.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1045516.stm
Sande Helmet Mask
The Sande Society, which is much like the Jo society but spans multiple tribes in multiple countries across West Africa, also practices female circumcision. However, as an all-female women's society, it also hosts many initiation masquerades.
This particular helmet mask belongs to the Sherbo tribe sect of the Sande and was carved by a bundu, or masker. As the object that most resembles other types of maks and human figures that we have seen in this course, I thought it was importnat to include as a more classical representation in this realm of initiation.
Source: http://afrikadawn.com/africa/sande.html
Mormon Undergarments
I became interested in this type of object because of the fact that my freshman year roommate is Mormon and has always been graciously open and honest with me regarding Mormon tradition. Receiving the undergarments is a type of initiation, much like baptism; one receives the garments upon receiving endowment, a blessing that enables one to enter sacred Mormon temples. This rite of passage is one of many steps undertaken to fully participate in the Mormon community.
Sources:
http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/mormon/underwear/
http://www.mormonstudies.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:what-are-mormon-underwear-or-garments&catid=1:faq&Itemid=2
Image courtesy of http://dekerivers.wordpress.com/
THE ARRANGEMENT OF MY EXHIBIT:
In total, therefore, I have nine objects:
9 objects:
· Jo initiation figure
· 1920s Jewish circumcision sign
· Naghol land diving tower
· Sepik Cutting Pattern Photos
· Mentawai Tooth Chisel
· Xhosa Circumcision tools
· Sabiny Female Circumcision tools
· Sande Helmet Mask
· Mormon Undergarments
I would want to arrange my objects in a way that is both thematically relevant yet aesthetically inviting, to provoke curiosity and thoughtfulness in both young students and elders.
Therefore, I would put the Naghol tower in the center a circular room. (Ideally, this would be a room with high ceilings, and the replication, although miniature, would still be an awesome thing to behold.) Then, in this order in a circle, I would put: the Sande Helmet Mask, the Jo initiation figure, the Mormon Undergarments, the Jewish circumcision sign, the Xhosa Circumcision tools, the Sabiny Female Circumcision tools, the Sepik Cutting Pattern photo, and the Mentawai Tooth Chisel.
This order was chosen to group objects according to region, while at the same time, to show a transformation from objects that replicate or enhance the body to objects that physically change the body, inspiring contemplation on the role of bodily transformation in initiation, and what this says about dedication in various cultures.
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS:
As previously mentioned, the biggest challenge in designing this exhibit was to maintain a balance of aesthetic and ethnographic/anthropological relevance. Ethnocentrism is also difficult to avoid when designing an exhibit, but this is why I hoped to choose objects that were as globally diverse as possible (though it is quite clear to me that multiple Asian, Latin, and, of course, African cultures -- among countless others -- may not be adequately represented).
Overall, I found the experience to be exciting and enlightening, and I've found myself wishing that bringing this sort of exhibit to life were of even comparable difficulty to designing it.
OTHER SOURCES:
http://listverse.com/2010/07/17/10-incredibly-painful-rites-of-initiation/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation#Religious_and_other_spiritual_initiations
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