Friday, December 18, 2009

The Wodabee Male Beauty

The Wodaabe, which means “the people of the Taboo”, live in parts of Central Africa. Beauty is very important to them, particularly a focus on male beauty with male beauty contests being held where men try to impress various young women. The gender relations within the tribal group are interesting, with polygamy being practiced including the permission for married women to then live with or marry another man. Women who are unmarried are free to sleep with any men they want with no social restrictions or penalties on their promiscuity.

The taboos relate to various relationships within the tribe with strict rules and customs to be followed in many situations. Strikingly, the parents may not speak directly with their two eldest children, and these two are usually brought up by the grandparents instead. They are nomadic with tribes consisting generally of a few brothers, their wives and their children. The women carry status symbols called calabashes, which are passed down through the generations.

The male Wodaabe beauty is tall, with bright white eyes and teeth. In festivals, the men wear elaborate ornaments, and feathers and makeup of paint. They perform, singing and dancing to attract women at the age of marriage.

As the festival closes, a week of contests called gerewol begins. The main purpose of this is to attract women for marriage, and young women judge the men’s skills and beauty during these contests.

The focus on male beauty in the Wodaabe tribes might reveal some of the connections between emphases on beauty and the role and position that people hold in society.

Below: A Wodabee woman judges a contest between men at a gerewol

Friday, December 11, 2009

Byzantine Embroidery

Byzantine Embroidery

Embroidery was a way for Byzantines among many other cultures, to decorate their clothing. The painstaking care taken in the fine and even stitches necessary to create an accomplished work of embroidery as well as the combination of creativity in coming up with beautiful designs as well as the transmission of culture in producing familiar patterns make this a fascinating window into the perceptions of beauty in ancient people.

Geometric patterns were popular in Byzantine, as well as nature, animals, as well as mythical creatures. The type of cloth and thread used may reflect the wealth of the wearer, with silk being a familiar indicator of high class. Even gold thread was sometimes used in garments.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Lip Piercing- Tembeta

Lip Piercing- Tembeta

In the culture of some groups in modern day Chile, lip-piercing was a symbol of adulthood. Young men would have their lip pierced in a ceremony after which they would have attained manhood. From this point on they were able to fill adult roles and to marry.

Aside from indicating their role in society, the tembeta was also believed to protect the wearer. It was often made of a stone of beautiful colours and was a curved shape.

Alcoholic beverages made of maize were frequently used to numb the pain of the piercing.