The Masons of Djenné

Talk about hands-on ethnography! To learn construction processes, Marchand (Univ. of London) apprenticed himself to masons working on buildings in Djenné, the UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Niger River in Mali. The Great Mosque of Djenné may be the world's largest mud structure and is among the world's greatest architectural accomplishments. Djenné has been a crossroads for millennia and remains so today, as sleek Italianate balustrades and satellite dishes vie for space with sensuous, seemingly organic, earthen dwellings. Wishing to understand builders as social subjects rather than buildings as cultural objects, Marchand exchanged his own work for the teaching he received, as accommodated by local paradigms of practice-based technology transfer. Through endless hours of tedious toil making mud bricks, toting loads, and assiduously following the instructions of masons higher in the hierarchy, Marchand acquired practical skills that transcend media and method to include oaths, magic, and the fervent prayers of his Muslim colleagues. Personalities loom large in such hard work, as do stunning expertise and the masons' passion for their craft. Like Marchand, readers share this passion, inspired by magnificent photos of men doing the work they love. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. - Choice