Being Object. Art.

Cultures contribute to the richness of this world through their uniqueness and variety - as do their material products. This is reflected in the ethnographic collections from Africa, the Americas, South East Asia, Oceania and East Asia at the Museum of World Cultures in Frankfurt. Using exceptional photographs, 130 everyday objects or ritual items are presented from the huge collection. The objects in this volume are described and interpreted simultaneously as works of art. The book questions the environment in which the work was created and which ideas about design, colour, form, symmetry, balance, etc., might have influenced their production. The common goal is to present what it is about these works that are exceptional, elaborate, other, perfect or imperfect in fact, harmonious or disturbing.