Voodoo Dolls
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:45 pm
This is just a quick post about a realization I had that will probably surprise no one.
Everyone has heard of "Voodoo dolls," which have very little (if anything) to do with Voodoo, but are strongly associated with sympathetic magic in those same communities where Voodoo is practiced.
Voodoo comes from Benin/Dahomey.
Benin has a centuries-old tradition of bronze. You can find the last 1400 years of fashion history among the bronze artworks of Benin. The sculptors there have worked all that time in perfecting a stylistic tradition that adheres to shared design principles while allowing room for individual expression.
So the "Voodoo doll" comes from a culture that practiced sculpted caricature for generations. I find that impossible to ignore, and it reminds me of just how far off the mark those generic tourist items are compared to an actual sympathetic link. A genuine sculpted human form made in Benin is like a 3D cartoon, it captures key features of a person and represents them within a systematically proportioned image.
One of these days I'd love to visit Benin and observe how the artisans there produce sculptures. I suspect there's a wealth of untapped artistic talent hanging about unaware of itself among their foundry workers.
Everyone has heard of "Voodoo dolls," which have very little (if anything) to do with Voodoo, but are strongly associated with sympathetic magic in those same communities where Voodoo is practiced.
Voodoo comes from Benin/Dahomey.
Benin has a centuries-old tradition of bronze. You can find the last 1400 years of fashion history among the bronze artworks of Benin. The sculptors there have worked all that time in perfecting a stylistic tradition that adheres to shared design principles while allowing room for individual expression.
So the "Voodoo doll" comes from a culture that practiced sculpted caricature for generations. I find that impossible to ignore, and it reminds me of just how far off the mark those generic tourist items are compared to an actual sympathetic link. A genuine sculpted human form made in Benin is like a 3D cartoon, it captures key features of a person and represents them within a systematically proportioned image.
One of these days I'd love to visit Benin and observe how the artisans there produce sculptures. I suspect there's a wealth of untapped artistic talent hanging about unaware of itself among their foundry workers.