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How Materials Matter

Design, Innovation and Materiality in the Pacific

Graeme Were author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Berghahn Books

Published:13th Oct '23

Should be back in stock very soon

How Materials Matter cover

How does design and innovation shape people’s lives in the Pacific? Focusing on plant materials from the region, How Materials Matter reveals ways in which a variety of people – from craftswomen and scientists to architects and politicians – work with materials to transform worlds. Recognizing the fragile and ephemeral nature of plant fibres, this work delves into how the biophysical properties of certain leaves and their aesthetic appearance are utilized to communicate information and manage different forms of relations. It breaks new ground by situating plant materials at the centre of innovation in a region.

“…a wonderful contribution to the expanding and exciting field of material culture studies. With its particular regional focus, it is also a novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific. A beautifully printed book.”• Anthropos

“The book is a welcome and novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific through its exploration of the dynamics of materials and sociality, while also introducing readers to the realities of working with digital renderings of heritage.”• Joshua A. Bell, Smithsonian Institution

ISBN: 9781805391227

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

212 pages