Life Arts and Crafts of Arunachal Pradesh

The author, in her refreshing book 'Life, Arts and Crafts of Arunachal Pradesh', deals with the basic arts and crafts of the major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh in the context of their total life and culture which pivot round their artistic craft activities. She has enriched her explication not only on the basis of historical source materials but also by her intimate acquaintance with the life styles of the tribes which she marshalled in course of her intensive filed work in Arunachal Pradesh. Dr. Mukhopadhyay brings into focus that the tribal craftsmen, while engaged in making crafts basically functional objects, have succeeded in creating art works of exceptional aesthetic quality. Inspite of their near-isolation (1982-83) and various constraints, the craftsmen were self-sufficient in almost all spheres of life, while the advent of modern commercialisation process has put them in a difficult transitional phase. The author has sought to find out an optimum way out for the concerned inhabitant in the midst of the cross-currents of the opposite forces presently in motion. The book is adorned with exquisite plates and photograph depicting the life and crafts of Arunachal Pradesh.