Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Degree
Fall 2014
Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Degree In
Art History
First Advisor
Christopher D. Roy
Abstract
The Royal Palace of Dahomey, which stands in varied states of decay and restoration in Abomey, Benin, has been subject to change and manipulation throughout its history (c. 1645-present). This dissertation focuses on its transformations during the French colonial and post-colonial periods and investigates how the palace functions as a site for religious ceremonies, a center for political struggle, and a symbol of non-European identity. It documents what physical transformations the palace complex underwent in relation to its changing roles, explores the ethics of external political forces, and investigates what influence the palace and royal history have had on contemporary identity and domestic architecture.
Keywords
Abomey, Architecture, Dahomey, Kingdom, Tohosu, Vodun
Pages
xii, 322 pages
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-322).
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 Lynne Ann Ellsworth Larsen