ABOUT THIS BOOK

A fascinating exploration into the world of the Saramaka Maroons of the Suriname rain forest, Co-wives and Calabashes examines the status of women in this polygynous and matrilineal society as reflected in its social structure and in its art. The product of seventeen years of research, the book draws upon a rich variety of resources — from bawdy popular songs to dusty museum artifacts, from animated gossip sessions to comprehensive social statistics — to reveal the complex ways in which notions of gender, patterns of marriage, and the cultural definition of art are interrelated.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Sally Price received her doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University, where she is currently a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology. She is the author of numerous articles and of Afro-American Arts of the Suriname Rain Forest, co-authored by anthropologist Richard Price. Together, they have been studying the life of the Saramaka Maroons since 1966.

REVIEWS

“A sensitively written, richly textured, and beautifully illustrated ethnography presented from the perspective of Sarmaka women’s experience, Co-wives and Calabashes keenly probes the social and cultural construction of gender asymmetry and clearly illuminates its influence on gift exchange and on the artistic expression of both interpersonal affection and tensions. Sally Price’s highly engaging and nuanced portrayl of the gender politics of Saramaka art is a valuable contribution to anthropology as well as to Afro-American studies, women’s studies, and art.”
– Faye V. Harrison, University of Tennessee

“One of the best ethnographies of women’s lives in print.”
– Jane Collier, Stanford University

“Price’s important contribution in this book is the analysis of the ways that cultural ideas about the genders influence Saramaka women’s art and artistic activity and the complementary contributions that these artistic activities make to their social life.”
– Reviews in Anthropology

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