McLelland, Mark:QUEER JAPAN FROM THE PACIFIC WAR TO THE INTERNET AGE
- hardcover 2005, ISBN: 9789780742539
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, (1998), Ist printing.. 192 pp, 4to (11 1/4" H), hard cover in dust jacket. ISBN 1560987944 Profusely illustrated with b&w and color p… More...
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, (1998), Ist printing.. 192 pp, 4to (11 1/4" H), hard cover in dust jacket. ISBN 1560987944 Profusely illustrated with b&w and color photos and drawings. "Among the Mande-speaking groups dispersed throughout much of West Africa, certain artists - including potters and l eatherworkers - form a spiritually powerful social class in which gender determines craft specialization. Ceramic water jars and cooking pots are made only by the wives and female relatives of blacksmiths. Leather objects such as knife shea t h s , a m ulet cases, and, more recently, western-style shoes and bags are produced by male leatherworkers. While these objects display features common to those of other West African groups, the manner in which they are produced has remained dis ti nc tl y M an de . Analyzing the work of Mande potters and leatherworkers, (the author) argues that studying craft technologies in addition to object styles is essential to reconstructing the art heritage of an ethnically complex region. Drawing on ar cha eo lo gic al and historical evidence as well as her field research in Mali, she shows how tools and practices such as potters' use of convex molds and leatherworkers' adherence to specific knife blade shapes serve to distinguish the good s ma de b y Ma nde ar tist s f rom those of neighboring groups. She also discusses the pride the potters take in their healing and spiritual knowledge, and the sense of difference between craftsmen who specialize exclusively in leatherworking and those who doubl e as bar ds an d mu sicians. Examining the roles of Mande leatherworkers and potters in the rise and fall of empires, the development of trans-Saharan trade networks, and the spread of Islam, Frank questions the 'one-tribe, one-st yle' i nterp retati ons t hat h ave do minat ed studies of West African art. Focusing on two traditions that have been little studied, (this book) explores the complex, shifting relationships among the identities of Mande craftspeople, the objects they cr eate, and the techn ologie s they use." Minor edge wear, minor wrinkling at top/bottom of spine, barcode label on rear paste-down. Dust jacket has minor edge wear, light edge wrinkling - mainly at top/bottom of spine and top of rear panel . very l ight r ubbing. Very G ood+/Ve ry Good., Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, (1998), Ist printing., Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Very Good+. c. 2005. 3-ring binder. 9780742537873 . Paper covers. Paper covers tend to rise upward from the text, else Binding and contents are almost like new. ; 9" Tall, viii + 247pp. PAPER COVERS. Cover is considerably lighter than posterboard. HISTORY. "This volume, with its combination of fieldwork in the gay and lesbian communities and the use of historical sources such as journals and documents, breaks important new ground . It examines gay life in the Japanese Pacific War, addresses transgender and lesbian as well as gay issues, examines the interface of queer society with the US occupation and the international community, contests major interpretations of contemporary queer society, and introduces you to the development of lesbian, transgender, and gay communities in postwar Japan. Provides a historical outline of the development of sexual-minority identity categories and community formation through a detailed analysis of both niche and mainstream publications . Including images from the 'perverse press, ' this book will appeal to students and general readers interested in modern and contemporary Japan and in gender studies and sexuality. " .. Bibliography. Index. Around a dozen b/w illustrations - mostly photos. ., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers<
