Umbanda entities’ imaginary: Dilemas in shared aesthetics over plaster images

The study of the evolution of plaster images of Umbanda entities, sold in religious goods stores, including a brief history of its most expressive manufacturer (Imagens Bahia), reveals social and behavioral changes over time. The images of the so-called left-wing entities, exus and Pomba-giras, refl...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Souza, Patrícia Rodrigues de
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP)
Repositorio:Cadernos de Campo: Revista de Ciências Sociais
Idioma:portugués
inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/18214
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.fclar.unesp.br/cadernos/article/view/18214
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Umbanda
Religious materialities
Religious images
Agency of objects
Religious goods stores
Materialidades religiosas
Imagens religiosas
Lojas de artigos religiosos
Imágenes religiosas
Tiendas de artículos religiosos
Descripción
Sumario:The study of the evolution of plaster images of Umbanda entities, sold in religious goods stores, including a brief history of its most expressive manufacturer (Imagens Bahia), reveals social and behavioral changes over time. The images of the so-called left-wing entities, exus and Pomba-giras, reflect dilemmas involving the exposure of sexuality and a certain degree of zoomorphism. At the same time, the different opinions of devotees on whether to cover the breasts of Pomba-giras in statues and represent exus with the bodily parts of animals challenges the manufacturer/designer to reconcile such divergences in the production of statues, having to update them from time to time without losing tradition. This research reveals that a combination of spiritual revelation and social construction determines the imagination of Umbanda entities. Regarding agency, there is a dialectical process in which sometimes believers are influenced by the plaster representations, and sometimes devotees determine them.