Manipulating the Sacred: Yoruba Art, Ritual, and Resistance in Brazilian Candomble (African American Life Series) [Paperback]

Mikelle Smith Omari-Tunkara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0814328520 | ISBN-13: 978-0814328521

The first art historical study of Yoruba-descended, African Brazilian religious art based on an author's long-term participation in and observation of private and public rituals.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

At a time when the art of the African diaspora has aroused much general interest for its multicultural dimensions, Mikelle Smith Omari-Tunkara contributes strikingly rich insights as a participant/observer in the African-based religions of Brazil. She focuses on the symbolism and function of ritual objects and costumes used in the Brazilian candomblé (miniature "African" environments or temples) of the Bahia region, which combine Yoruba, Bantu/Angola, Caboclo, Roman Catholic, and/or Kardecist/Spiritist elements. An initiate herself with more than twenty years of study, the author is considered an insider, and has witnessed how practitioners manipulate the "sacred" to encode, in art and ritual, vital knowledge about meaning, values, epistemologies, and history. She demonstrates how this manipulation provides Brazilian descendents of slaves with a sense of agency—with a link to their African heritage and a locus for resistance to the dominant Euro-Brazilian culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Wayne State Univ Pr (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814328520
• ISBN-13: 978-0814328521
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,606,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, August 14, 2010

By 

orishadevotion - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manipulating the Sacred: Yoruba Art, Ritual, and Resistance in Brazilian Candomble (African American Life Series) (Paperback)

amazing book.

i am so happy to have found a great book on candomble. it is hard to find information in candomble in english due to the language barrier.

i adored everything, it goes beyond candomble, the author even writes about other minor afro-brazilian traditions.

i hope that the author writes another book on this great subject.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for Americans interested in Candomblé, July 24, 2007

By 

Hayehwatha Institute - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manipulating the Sacred: Yoruba Art, Ritual, and Resistance in Brazilian Candomble (African American Life Series) (Paperback)

Most of the books on Candomblé are written in Portuguese. This is an informative book for those wanting to understand the Candomblé tradition in Brazil. This book gives a lot of details and insight into the practices and procedures of the Candomblé Terreiros, which up until a few years ago has always been very private. There is a website that seeks to give an understanding this tradition to the American public: www.orixas.org. Big thanks to the author for writing this book. A `must have' book for the serious seeker.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars review for "manipulating the sacred", September 21, 2007

By 

Benjamin W. Komistra (MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manipulating the Sacred: Yoruba Art, Ritual, and Resistance in Brazilian Candomble (African American Life Series) (Paperback)

i was very happy with the quality of this product as well as with the timely manner in which it arrived.