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Front and back covers. Volume 21, Number 2. April 2005
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
anthropology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1467-8322
pISSN - 0268-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0268-540x.2005.021c2.x
Subject(s) - front (military) , front cover , tribe , parry , citation , history , front page , art history , genealogy , cover (algebra) , media studies , sociology , geography , anthropology , library science , computer science , artificial intelligence , meteorology , engineering , mechanical engineering
Front and back cover caption, volume 21 issue 2 Front & back cover BBC TRIBE The front and back covers show images of male ceremonial dress from the series Tribe, which Pat Caplan discusses in this issue. The back cover shows an Asmat man from West Papua in ceremonial dress; the front cover shows Bruce Parry, a British ex‐marine and presenter of the series, wearing ceremonial dress during his visit to the Asmat, prior to his stay with the Kombai. The series, which involved visits to six different peoples, was broadcast at peak viewing time in Britain in January and February 2005. Of his experiences with the Asmat, Parry said: 'It was early in the morning and a family had spotted me the day before (which was our first day in an Asmat village ‐ West Papua) and had decided that I was the spitting image of their son (somehow?) and so wanted to adopt me. My face‐painting only came after my ceremonial sucking of three elderly women's breasts to signify my becoming their child (luckily I'd read about this and so wasn't too bemused) and a name‐giving ceremony. I was then painted and adorned with all the Asmat finery as you see in the picture. Cuscus fir hat, cockatoo feathers, large shell and beads. I don't know if there was any special significance of the face paint design, but it was an amazing experience. A note here is that the crew were dressed up in finery too but I was the only real adoption with the breast episode.' 'The [other] painted face was an Asmat man from West Papua. The face painting is traditional warrior paint for various ceremonies including head‐hunting raids, bisj ceremonies and the like. Now done for tourists and occasional village occasions.' 'The Kombai would have to be my choice for place to stay for the longest. Even though I could rarely get further away from what I take for granted back home culturally or socially, I have never laughed so much in my life or been made to feel more at home. I loved every minute.' Although this was not an anthropological series, it was often perceived as such by lay viewers and reviewers, a fact which raises important issues about the public perception of anthropology. It is hoped that this article will stimulate debate on the topic in the pages of ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY.