The Makers of the World

Download or read book The Makers of the World written by Jan Brouwer and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1995 with total page 636 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a full-length study of a single caste - the artisan caste of the Visvakarma. The Visvakarna comprise smaller divisions of sub castes of the blacksmiths, carpenters, goldsmiths, sculptors and coppersmiths. The book is divided into five parts. Part one discusses the theme of the book and its theoretical and ethnographical perspectives. Part two describes Visvakarma crafts in detail. The supply of raw materials the processes of manufacture, the delivery of finished products, and the rituals which accompany the various phases of a craft. Part three begins with an interesting geological, geographical and historical account of the state of Kamataka; the regional back drop of the book. This is followed by the 'ideal' of caste and the 'reality' of their fragmentation of sub castes. This part ends with an analysis and an interestingdiscussion of the mythology of the origins of the Visvakarmas. Part four describes the Visvakarma sub-castes of southern Kamataka, central Kamataka and northern Kamataka. Part five brings the different parts of the book together in conclusion.