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Jumping to Conclusions:
Ethiopian Fertility Idols or Tourist
Souvenirs. ©
By
(Copy Right © 1999-September
6, 2004. All rights reserved)
The Falasha of Ethiopia have long been termed the black Jews of Abissinia. For
this reason, the discovery that they produced so-called fertility figurines
opened speculation among ethnologists that these figurines were evidence of an
ancient fertility cult.
However, the figurines were, at least initially, modeled after West African art that was shown to the non-Falasha Gondar Patriotic Women's Association and Falasha female potters in 1960. The figurines were sold to tourists, whose tastes often dictated what the potters depicted.
This must serve as a strong warning to ethnologists and archaeologists to avoid overeager, seemingly self-evident interpretations of religious and cultural systems of pre-industrial societies based on artifacts.
A collection by Frederick
C. Gamst, Department of
Anthropology, University of Massachusetts,
Boston. Photography by M.O.
Figure 1. Map of Ethiopia
Figure 2. Falash clay figurines
Figure 3. Falasha mother and child
Figure 4. Falasha flask with nude women as handle
Figure 5. Pregnant women riding
Figure 6. Falasha mother feeding bread to a child
References
Gamst, F. C.
1993 Zur Zufälligkeit der Entstehung neuer Kunststiele:
Ergänzung zum Aufsatz über die sogenannten "Fruchtbarkeitsidole" der
Falascha Abessiniens. Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 117 (1992):117-118,
Berlin
Gamst, F. C. and M. O.
1980 Über die sogenannten "Fruchtbarkeitsidole" der Falascha von
Abessinien. Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, Vol. 105:134-144, Berlin.
Related Links
EthnoLink's
Society and Culture: An Ethiopian Internet Service Provider's web page with
links to Internet sites around the world, featuring information on Ethopian
history, religion, linguistics, government, etc.
Please send comments or questions to Max Baldia.