Craft and the Kingly Ideal: Art, Trade, and Power

by Mary W. Helms

Book Overview

In ancient Mediterranean cultures, diamonds were thought to endow their owners with invincibility. In contemporary United States culture, a foreign-made luxury car is believed to give its owner status and prestige. Where do these beliefs come from?

In this study of craft production and long-distance trade in traditional, nonindustrial societies, Mary W. Helms explores the power attributed to objects that either are produced by skilled artisans...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292730780
• ISBN13: 9780292730786
• Release Date: April 1993
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"