AESTHETICS
The stone sculpture

At the end of the celebration, the Yanomami sometimes mix the crushed bones of a recently deceased villager into a banana soup. Mournful, the relatives of the dead person drink this mixture with tears in their eyes.


Although food and shelter are fundamental requirements for human existence that occupy much of human beings' time and energy, humans also expend time, energy, and resources on the artistic creation of things of beauty, such as paintings, songs, stories, dances, and music that give them pleasure. Often these creations are associated with religious beliefs and rituals. Other aesthetically-pleasing objects are produced for special members of society, such as leaders, priests, or shamans (curers), as these individuals are believed to have special power or authority.

Objects of beauty are also made for special occasions, to mark the birth of a child, to signify and celebrate a marriage, or to memorialize the death of an important person or beloved relative. But objects of beauty, from simple tools and utensils, to lullabics and folk songs, also enhance the everyday lives and activities of ordinary members of a society. For, as the Western saying goes, "Man does not live by bread alone."


Nancy C. Lutkehaus, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Center for Visual Anthropology
University of Southern California
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