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, Bororo population, Wood, feathers, cotton, porcupine spines, 47 X 5.5 cm, Dina and Claude Lévi-Strauss Expedition, 71.1936.48.248
Covered with feathers coming from different birds, this wooden stalk, adorned with vibrant colours, would be comparable to an Amazonian headdress. In reality, it is used to pierce the lower lip of young boys around seven years of age. It was also associated with initiation rites during a celebration dedicated to the passage from childhood towards that of an adult.