Claude Lévi-Strauss : walk amongst the objects
For the centenary of the doyen of French cultural and social anthropology, otherwise known as structuralism, 21 pieces amongst the objects brought by Claude Lévi-Strauss from his expedition to South America between 1935 and 1939 have been chosen from the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly. They emphasize the sensitive and impassioned approach that this perceptive observer has always had on the Amerindian world and, in particular, the Amazonian culture.
Brazil, Tupi or Nambikwara population, Shells, vegetal fibres, 19 X 15.5 cm, Claude Lévi-Strauss Expedition, 71.1939.88.690
Mother-of-pearl evokes sparkle, brillance, radiant beauty. Such a necklace had a display function for the one who wore it. The body became more visible and vibrant upon contact with the material that would confer on him, by its preciosity, a certain prestige.