The Anthropology of Art: Studies in Etnoaesthetics

The term "primitive art" was used to denote the tribal "art" of those people in Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania who were the objects of ethnological or anthro- pological study. As such, it corresponds to the area of so called art that has has often (and unsatisfactory) been called tribal, primitive, aboriginal, native, indigenous or traditional etc. This thesis provides general introduction to some anthropological perspectives on art, and offers variety of approaches to the uneasy concept of art as is defined in our culture. Three case studies show ethnoaesthetic topics (paleolithic rockart, african hairstyles and also tattooing of human bodies in traditional Polynesian cultures)