Isn't S/He a Doll: Play and Ritual in African Sculpture [Paperback]

Elisabeth Lynn Cameron (Author), Doran H. Ross (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Univ of California Museum of (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930741552
• ISBN-13: 978-0930741556
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,013,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Playful yet Scholarly Look at Some Real Dolls, December 2, 2006

By 

Daniel L. Berek (Flanders, NJ, United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Isn't S/He a Doll: Play and Ritual in African Sculpture (Paperback)

If you love folk art, dolls, hand-made toys, African art, or indigenous cultures, this book is a feast for the eyes and mind. As with other publications associated with the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, the photography is spectacular and the text is very readable without compromising on its scholarly quality.

Dr. Cameron approaches her subject from two perspectives: First, African sculpture must be considered in the context of its ritual use, for example to ensure fertility and the bearing of healthy children. Second, humans have always acted out their beliefs, desires, and fears and other feelings through play. In Western industrial cultures, however, play - and, by extension, dolls - are considered childish pursuits; the importance of play, Dr. Cameron argues, is something we overlook too easily. This was not always the case in Western culture, however; Dr. Cameron quotes Plato (Laws, vii:796): "I say that man must be serious with the serious. God alone is worthy of supreme seriousness, but man is made god's plaything, and that is the best part of him.... What, then, is the right way of living? Life must be lived as play, playing certain games, making sacrifices, singing and dancing...." Thus, as Dr. Cameron herself admits, "This publication challenges the prevailing opinion among scholars of African art that the word 'doll' is an inappropriate designation for many genres of African art to which it is often applied."

The author invites the reader to imagine taking one of the dolls depicted in the book off a shelf and holding it. I am personally not convinced. On the one hand, I love her invitation to play - to imagine - to re-enact. Not only is this a wonderful and very healthy outlook on life, it is also the essence of many rituals and myths. On the other hand, I am also aware that in many African languages, there is no word for 'toy.' Thus, when a child, teenager, or adult makes a toy vehicle from recycled tin, wire, and other materials, when asked what it is, the maker will answer that it is a truck, bus, car, or bicycle (or "galimoto"). Likewise, among the Luba of the Congo, for example, banana leaf dolls are called "mwana," or "child"; among the Asante of Ghana, "akua'ba" means "Wednesday's child." This paradox is not settled - perhaps, it can never be.

Another paradox in this book is the treatment of folk art as fine art. Nevertheless, other authors have suggested that the distinction between the two is an artificial one. I can live with that.

The book illustrates dolls from all over Africa, dolls of a bewildering variety of shapes, as the lovely cover photo aptly illustrates. The Asante akua'ba dolls receive thorough treatment; unfortunately, the same cannot be said about many of the other dolls. My only disappointment with this book is that the Zulu and Nbdele dolls did not receive similar treatment, as these beautiful pieces are used in such a variety of ritual contexts. They would have provided a nice contrast with the many types of akua'ba dolls presented.

That said, as a lover of folk art, dolls, hand-made toys, African art, or indigenous cultures myself, this book will take up a treasured place on my bookshelf among my books on these subjects, as well as my collection of folk art toys. I am happy to recommend this beautiful and charming book.