The Curse of Nemur: In Search of the Art, Myth and Ritual of the Ishir

Ticio Escobar

ISBN 10: 0822959372 / ISBN 13: 9780822959373

Published by University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007

About this Item

Originalverpackt. The Tomaraho, a subgroup of the Ishir (Chamacoco) in Paraguay, are among the few indigenous groups to have preserved their language and spiritual beliefs. Residing in a remote area of the Gran Chaco with limited contact with outside cultures, their survival is precarious, with only eighty-seven members remaining at the time of writing. Ticio Escobar, who spent significant time with the Tomaraho, utilizes his understanding of Ishir beliefs to engage with his own Western ideology, creating a unique cultural dialogue that challenges traditional anthropological interpretations. This work, part field diary, part art critique, and part cultural anthropology, provides a fresh perspective from the Ishir viewpoint. It delves into their rich narrative myths expressed through body painting, feather decoration, dream songs, shamanism, and rituals. Enhanced by striking photographs, native drawings, and a thorough exploration of color in Ishir art, Escobar's observations reveal the intrinsic link between religious practice and artistic expression in their culture. This exploration invites a reevaluation of Western views on art, belief, and Native American culture, offering a glimpse into an aesthetic "other.".

Seller Inventory # a72d1c3b-ce81-45ff-8d35-947a5b995ac3

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Curse of Nemur: In Search of the Art, Myth and Ritual of the Ishir
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0822959372
• ISBN 13: 9780822959373
• Binding: Softcover
• Condition: As New
• Seller catalogs:
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About this title

Synopsis

The Tom-raho, a subgroup of the Ishir (Chamacoco) of Paraguay, are one of the few remaining indigenous populations who have managed to keep both their language and spiritual beliefs intact. They have lived for many years in a remote region of the Gran Chaco, having limited contact with European or Latin American cultures. The survival of the Tom-raho has been tenuous at best; at the time of this writing there were only eighty-seven surviving members.
Ticio Escobar, who lived extensively among the Tom-raho, draws on his acquired knowledge of Ishir beliefs to confront them with his own Western ideology, and records a unique dialogue between cultures that counters traditional anthropological interpretation. The Curse of Nemur--which is part field diary, part art critique, and part cultural anthropology—offers us a view of the world from an entirely new perspective, that of the Ishir. We acquire deep insights into their powerful and enigmatic narrative myths, which find expression in the forms of body painting, feather decoration, dream songs, shamanism, and ritual.
Through dramatic photographs, native drawings, extensive examination of color and its importance in Ishir art, and Escobar’s lucid observation, The Curse of Nemur illuminates the seamless connection of religious practice and art in Ishir culture. It offers a glimpse of an aesthetic “other,” and in so doing, causes us to reexamine Western perspectives on the interpretation of art, belief, and Native American culture.

About the Author

Tico Escobar is founder and director of the Museo del Barro in Asuncion, Paraguay. He is author of more than ten books on Paraguayan indigenous peoples.