Date of Award
12-1-2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Anthropology
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
First Advisor
Dr. Jay K. Johnson
Second Advisor
Dr. Robbie Etheridge
Third Advisor
Dr. Edward Sisson
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The issues in defining, describing, and ultimately displaying “authentic” West African traditional art in the museum environment are often wrought with arbitrary distinctions concerning aesthetic value, artistic intention, and function in a ritual atmosphere. I examine a West African art collection, the Fulton-Meyer Collection, at the University of Mississippi Museums, and identify these works of art in terms of contemporary criteria found in both ethnographic and art history texts for specific tribal and ethnic affinities. I compare works deemed “authentic” and those that meet the tourist art criteria. I explore the reasons for these distinctions, and apply the contemporary studies on the subjects of authenticity in West African art, tourist art, and market trade to offer a better explanation of this collection and the expected difficulties in approaching all forms of West African art by Western distinctions.
Recommended Citation
Walker, Sarah Joy, "Authentic versus tourist : reexamining a collection of West African art in light of new debates and old ambiguities" (2004). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3497.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3497