The Life of a Balinese Temple

Description

In this book anthropologist Hildred Geertz explores a village temple in Bali. She offers insightful glimpses into what the statues, structures, and designs of Pura Desa Batuan convey to those who worship there, deepening our understanding of how a village community evaluates workmanship and imagery. Following an introduction to the temple and villagers of Batuan, Geertz researches the problematics of the Western concept of "art" as a guiding framework in research.

Description

"Should a temple be seen as a work of art, its carvers as artists, its worshipers as art critics and patrons? What is a temple (and its art) to the people who make and use it? Noted anthropologist Hildred Geertz attempts to answer these and other questions in this look at transformations in material culture and social relations over time in a village temple in Bali. Throughout, Geertz offers insightful glimpses into what the statues, structures, and designs of Pura Desa Batuan convey to those who worship there, deepening our understanding of how a village community evaluates workmanship and imagery." "Illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps, The Life of a Balinese Temple is a record of a complex communal achievement. Based on continued on-site study over a twenty-year period, it is a contribution to Bali studies and the anthropology of art that will also find an appreciative audience among students of religion, art historians, and those interested in material culture."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The Life of a Balinese Temple: Artistry, Imagination, and History in a Peasant VillageHardcoverUniversity of Hawaii Press2004-05-01
• Life of a Balinese TempleUniversity of Hawaii Press2004-01-01