Items related to The Masons of Djenné (African Expressive Cultures)

The Masons of Djenné (African Expressive Cultures) - Softcover

Marchand, Trevor H. J.

 
9780253220721: The Masons of Djenné (African Expressive Cultures)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0253220726 ISBN 13: 9780253220721
Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2009

Synopsis

The town of Djenné on the Bani River in Mali has been a thriving settlement for more than two millennia. Renowned for its mud-brick architecture, monumental mosque, and merchant-traders' houses, Djenné remains one of Africa's most distinctive cities. The Masons of Djenné follows Trevor Marchand after he signs on as a builder's apprentice. Marchand takes readers on his journey from raw laborer to skilled craftsman. He explores the professional associations of masons, their social networks, training regimes, and changing fortunes. With his fellow builders, he produces mud bricks and plasters, constructs walls and ceilings, and sculpts rooftop crenellations using specialized tools. Marchand describes the raising of a mud-brick house and explores the technical, social, and magical processes involved in making buildings and renewing the unique urban environment of Djenné.

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About the Author

Trevor H. J. Marchand is Professor of Social Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is author of Minaret Building and Apprenticeship in Yemen.

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Publisher
Indiana University Press
Publication date
2009
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0253220726
ISBN 13 
9780253220721
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
376