Anthropology and Architecture

African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender by Labelle Prussin; Semantic and
Symbolic Architecture by Nold Egenter
Review by: Mete Turan
Journal of Anthropological Research, Vol. 52, No. 3 (Autumn, 1996), pp. 355-359
Published by: University of New Mexico
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REVIEW
ARTICLE

AND ARCHITECTURE
ANTHROPOLOGY
MeteTuran
andPlanning,
Schoolof Architecture of NewMexico,
University
NM
Albuquerque, 87131-1226

AfricanNomadicArchitecture: Space, Place, and Gender. LabellePrussin

byAminaAdan,PeterA.Andrews,ArleneFullerton,Anders
(withcontributions
Grum,and Uta Holter).Washington,D.C. and London:SmithsonianInstitu-
tionPress andthe NationalMuseumof AfricanArt,1995,xxii + 245 pp.,over
200 black-and-whitephotographsand drawings+ 24 coloredphotographs.
$55.00, cloth.

Semantic and Symbolic Architecture. Nold Egenter.Lausanne,Switz.:

StructuraMundiEditions,1994,250 pp.,over400black-and-white
photographs
anddrawings.sFr 80.00, paper.

are strangebedfellows;theirrelationshiphas
ANDARCHITECTURE
ANTHROPOLOGY
never been madevery clear.Yet cultureand environmentare interrelated,
interwoven,andintegrated;they invariablycomplementeach other.It was in
the firsthalfof the nineteenthcentury,throughthe worksof GottfriedSemper
and Eugene EmmanuelViollet-le-duc,both architects,that culturaland an-
thropologicalaspects of architecturewere broughtto focus. Scholarshipin
architecture,whichwas then confinedto monumentality andpracticallyblind
to anythingoutsideof Greek,Egyptian,and Europeanactivity,was exposed
to a muchmore diverse architecturalworldthanpreviouslyconsidered.Ar-
chitectsandarchitectural historiansbecameawareof culture,technology,and
domesticarchitectureotherthanpalaces,as well as the peoplewho inhabited
the buildings.
Anthropologistswho first lookedcarefullyat the built environmentwere
Lewis HenryMorganand VictorMindeleff,who includedthe built environ-
mentinreconstructing realityof somegroupsofNorthAmeri-
the sociocultural
can Indians.The relationship between architectureand anthropology,how-
ever, remainsasymmetrical.Formost students of architecture,rhetoricrules
over substantialissues of culture,society, andtechnology.For most anthro-
pologists,on the otherhand,the builtenvironmentposes a problemof scale.
Anothersourceof difficultylies in theirlackof understanding of architectural
form.
Prussinis an architectandan architectural historianwith longfieldexperi-
ence in Africa.The territorycoveredby herandby contributors suchas Amina
Adan, Peter A. Andrews, Arlene Fullerton, Anders Grum, and Uta Holter

Research,vol. 52, 1996)

(JournalofAnthropological

355

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356 OFANTHROPOLOGICAL
JOURNAL RESEARCH
stretchesfromthe AtlanticOceanto the Red Sea andalso includesthe high-
landsof Ethiopiaandthe GreatRiftValley.This nomadicmilieuspreadsover
three biogeographical zones whereinlandscapesvaryfromsparsevegetation
to an almostlunarappearanceon a topographychangingfroma rockyplateau
to pebblyplain.Terrainis rugged,while distancesbetween food and water
sources,for bothnomadsandanimals,are great.Fullyawareof these fragile
environmentalconditions,the nomadmust calculateevery move with great
precisionso thatexistenceandwell-beingare not endangered.Migratorypat-
terns, settlement,andmovementin rhythmwith climaticandenvironmental
changesare essentialto sustainingecologicalequilibrium.
The nomadiclifestyle,whichdemandsa constantperceptualrearticulation
of little-differentiated
environments,facilitatesdifferentiated
cognitivestyles
as well as "field-independence." For the Africannomad,technologyand art
are inseparableand relatedto the Arabicwordfor creation(sun). Sina'ah,
whichmeansbothtechnologyandart,is used in a mannervery similarto the
originalmeaningof the Greekwordtechne.In additionto materials,tools,and
skills,sina'ah,employedin architectural activity,includesideologiesof soci-
ety, collectiveritual,andsymbolicmeaning.Prussinweavesthe materialfrom
differentdisciplinessuch as psychology,etymology,anthropology, ethnogra-
phy,andhistoryinto a broadperspective,therebyproducinga crediblearchi-
tecturalhistoryof the Africannomad.Her scholarshipandanalysisare com-
mensuratewiththe resourcefulnessandcreativityof the nomadicwomenshe
is studying.
Nomadicwomen'sthoroughunderstanding and tastefulhandlingof mate-
rial are exhibited in constructingthe armatureof the tent, weaving the
shukkaaba(matfor the tent roof)or the ugar-ti-haru(smallsisal bag)or the
milk container,or decoratingthe camelsaddle.Theirartfuldesign skills are
also displayedin embroiderymotifson the long tunicswornby men and old
women.Prussinrespondsto the architectureshe is investigatingwith sensi-
tivityandcare.Shearguesthatritualendowsthe builtenvironmentwithmean-
ing. Poetic and moraljudgmentsare providedby the belief systems and
cosmologies,whichare "inturnexpressedthrough,relatedto, the ensembles
of artifactsand their structurein space, to orientationin space, and to the
interfacebetween tent andtransporttechnologies"(p. 46). The buildingde-
signer and the transportationengineerare one and the same, and it is the
woman.The genderdivisionof laboris clearin a nomadicsociety.
A comprehensivearchitectural studyshouldcoverevery aspectof the phe-
nomenawhich contributeto the materializationof the finalform. It would
show how architecture,its components,andrelatedartifactswork,how they
functionin the context of their environmentand culture.Whenthere is a
change either in external form or inner nature, a major shift is occurring in
society. The vernaculararchitecture of Africannomadism consists of respon-
sive, transformable,andmobile dwellings as a result of collective ritualwherein
the arts merge with technology. This stands in contrast to individuality,monu-
mentality, and permanence which characterize the architecture of many other

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 ANTHROPOLOGY
ANDARCHITECTURE 357
socialconditions.In the case of the nomadicexistence, sedentarization is the
reasonfor spatialchange,andwith spatialchangecomes changein the divi-
sion of labor.Slightlymoreelaborationon the relationshipbetweensocialand
spatialchangewouldhave been useful,but discussionspresentedin several
chaptersallowthe readerto reflecton these issues.
All the visualmaterialhas been carefullyselected to be informativeandto
complementthe text. The drawingsdeserve specialpraise.Coupledwith the
scholarlyandpenetratingtext, they constitutea significantcontributionto a
field whichis in need of guidance.This book-a visuallypleasing,substan-
tiallyeffective,andscholarlystructuredform-is no less an achievementthan
nomadicarchitecture.AfricanNomadicArchitecturewill be with us a long
time, bothas a learningexperienceandas an inspiration.
Nold Egenter is a Swiss architect,ethnologist,and architecturalanthro-
pologistwho spent ten years in Japanexploringthe temporarycultic struc-
turesusedduringlocalfestivalsin the regionof Omihachiman nearLakeBiwa.
His field investigationincludedthe sculpturalobjects,all relatedto the cult
system of the villagedeity,whichwere the centerof attentionof culticfesti-
vals. Originallypublishedin German,Egenter'simportantresearchon Japa-
nese folkShintobecameavailablein Englishaftera fourteen-year delaythrough
the fine translationofJoyceEngel-Cowper. This is a specialeditionapartfrom
the publisher'sResearchSeries in Architectural Anthropology. The Research
Series is very muchassociatedwith the book underconsideration,however,
for all eight volumespublishedthus farare the results of Egenter'sresearch
on "subhuman architecture,""domesticarchitecture,""culturalandarchitec-
turalanthropology," and "semanticarchitecture."Withthe present volume
and the others in the ResearchSeries, Egenterformulatesan architectural
theory which is anthropologically foundedand which he hopes will fill the
missing link between architectureand anthropology.
The subjectmatterof this survey is the folk beliefs associatedwithJapa-
nese folkShinto.The authorcontendsthatthere is a stratumof animism(tree
and stone worship)in this cult. Manylocalfestivalsinvolvethe construction
of temporarystructuresout of plantmaterials(grass, twigs, bamboo,reeds,
andthe like) assembledby tyingandplaiting.These mostlytemporarystruc-
tures are associatedwith the local shrine.The art of Shintoconstructionis
primarilyof a symbolicnature,producedforritualistic(ideological)reasons.It
is also hedonicbecause of the pleasureit conveys to the participantsin the
ritual.Both of these aspectsare communalratherthanindividual.Socialcus-
toms dictatethe physicalexpressiongiven to the structures.
Most of the cult monumentsinvestigatedare columnarstructureswith
heights varyingfromhalfa meter to ten meters, thoughsome are as tall as
twenty meters. They are basically two-tiered: the lower half is structurally
rigid, stiffened by bound bundles, and anchored to the ground, in some cases
with very elaborate secondary structures. The upper half contrasts with the
lowerhalf:it is flexible, loose, andunbound,movingfreelywiththe wind.For
these structures to stand even temporarily, they must be constructed this

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358 OFANTHROPOLOGICAL
JOURNAL RESEARCH

way,especiallyinanearthquake regionsuchasJapan. Giventheenvironmen-

talandstructural requirements how
cited, andat what pointdothestructures
securesymbolicpower?Egenterarguesthatthe "relative symbolism" in dif-
ferentforms-anthropomorphic, biomorphic, technomorphic, mythical,cos-
mic,sexual, etc.-follows the "tectonic primacy," rather than the otherway
around.Gottfried Semper's influenceon Egenter is feltthroughout the book,
on mattersconcerning
specifically and
tectonics "primordial forms" in archi-
tecture(e.g.,Semper1989).
A majorfocusof the studyis thetectonicsofthefolkShintostructures and
thesymbolism ofthemonuments. Thereseemstobe a largevarietyofforms,
sometimesgeometrical in character, reflectingdifferentrealmsof life. For
example,manyreflecttechnomorphous (ships)or biomorphous (tree,bird,
snake, human)shapes or assume mythicalforms(dragon,giant).The struc-
tures exhibitfine craftsmanshipwith respect for and understandingof the
materialsemployed.Behindthe richnessand diversityof culturaland sym-
bolic imageryare some generalprinciplesof communication. Whilelanguage
definitelyis a majorconstituentof communication, the visualrepresentation
realizedin three-dimensionalsculpturalobjectssuchas these cultmonuments
is anotherimportantcomponent.
Egenterarguesthatthe materialtraditionratherthanthe ideologicaltradi-
tion betterpreservesthe most ancientcircumstances.To reconstructthe an-
cient socioculturalreality,Egenteridentifiesthe differentlayers of tectonic
development.Forms and the tectonics of the cultic objects,which Egenter
believes were originallypart of a markingsystem, communicateaboutthe
societythatproducedthem.The two-tieredmonumentsrepresent"theunion
oppositesin a singleform"(p. 48, Fig. 43). Egenterreadsthis
of irreconcilable
as the conceptby whichancientmancomprehendedthe world.
This is an unusualbook on at least two accounts.First, the cultic objects
studiedare, for the most part,not habitableandthereforenot strictlyspeak-
ing architectural.However,this shouldnot disqualifythese mainlysymbolic
structuresfrombeing investigatedon tectonic terms. Buildingas sign and
symbolis comprehensiblefroma conventionalpointof view. Recognitionof
aestheticandtectonicvaluein the materialproducts,regardlessof theirhighly
symbolicnature,andfocus on tectonics,geometry,andmeaningof the cultic
structures,ratherthanon theiressentialpoweras objects,are all very appro-
priate within an architecturaldiscourse,as well as an anthropological one.
Therefore,this study cannotbe classifiedwithinthe boundariesof conven-
tionalarchitecturalor anthropologicalresearch.This is the secondcharacter-
istic thatplacesthe bookoutsidethe mainstreamof eitherdiscipline.
Semanticand Symbolic Architectureis generouslyillustratedwithdrawings,
photographs,diagrams,plans which supplementthe field data,methodologi-
cal discussions, and interpretations. The textual and visual material consti-
tute a wealth of information,making the book an indispensable source. The
lack of an index and an overwhelming abundanceof information,which could
have benefited from a different kind of organization,does not make for easy

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 ANDARCHITECTURE
ANTHROPOLOGY 359

reading.The authormanagesto get his message across,thoughnot without

raisingmore questionsaboutmethodologyand separatingthe materialtradi-
tion fromeverythingelse in the society.An issue that needs to be discussed
furtheris the relationbetween the symbolicand the tectonic,between the
materialandthe spiritual.Withall the questionshis studyraises, Egenteris
pursuinga healthydebate in an area not very frequentlyvisited by either
Likethe Prussinvolume,this is a welcomecon-
architectsor anthropologists.
tributionin the reconstructionof socioculturalreality,includingreligionand
social structurethroughthe analysisof materialstructures.

REFERENCE CITED

Semper,G., 1989, The FourElementsof Architectureand OtherWritings(trans.

by H.F. MallgraveandW. Herrmann).Cambridge,
Eng.:Cambridge UniversityPress.

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