Quoi de plus inné que les concepts d’oblique, d’horizontal ou de vertical ? Pour nous, moderne, ces concepts fondamentaux sont la base de tout notre système de pensée, tant mathématique qu’artistique. Tout porterait à croire que ces principes soient présents dans la civilisation grecque, dont nous nous réclamons les héritiers. Ce n’est pourtant pas une évidence au vu des textes qui nous ont été rapportés. Homère n’a pas connu le concept d’oblique – aucun mot ne saurait le traduire dans la langue de son époque. Et même plus tard. Les Grecs ont cinq adjectifs pour signifier approximativement l’oblique : λοξός, πλάγιος, λέχριος, σκολιός et δόχμιος. Chaque discipline (cosmologie, optique, géographie, artistique, etc.) a sa façon d’appréhender ces cinq termes, qui ne recouvrent à chaque fois que partiellement notre notion d’oblique. Paradoxalement, ce que le langage écrit n’a pas synthétisé se retrouve en abondance dans l’imagerie. Plus surprenant encore, l’oblique dans l’image, que nous considérons comme signe du mouvement dans notre langage iconographique, se retrouve aussi bien pour signifier le mouvement que le repos. Deux monuments de l’art grec attirent notre attention sur ce nouveau paradoxe : la frise du Mausolée d’Halicarnasse et l’Athéna Pensive. A chaque fois l’oblique est présente, à chaque fois elle porte deux sens bien distincts. Ces deux formes de langage, écrit et imagé, apportent un éclairage différent, et pour le moins complémentaire, sur la façon dont les Grecs de l’Antiquité ont appréhendé (ou non) le concept d’oblique. / What could be more innate than the concepts of oblique, horizontal or vertical ? For us, modern, these three concepts are the basis of our whole system of thought, both mathematical and artistic. It would appear to be obvious that these principles are present in the Greek civilization, whose we claim the heirs. However that isn't so obvious in view of the texts that have survived. Homer didn’t know the concept of oblique - no words can translate it into the language of his time. And even later. The Greeks have five adjectives to mean approximately oblique : λοξός, πλάγιος, λέχριος, σκολιός and δόχμιος. Each discipline (cosmology, optic, geography, art, etc.) has its own way of looking at these five words, which cover partially our notion of oblique. Paradoxically, what the written language has not synthesized, can be found in many images. Even more surprising, the oblique in the image, which we consider as a sign of movement in our iconographic language, is found both here to signify the movement than the rest. Two monuments of Greek art call our attention to this new paradox : the frieze of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Mourning Athena. In each of them the oblique ligne is present, and wears two distinct senses. These two forms of language, written and pictorial, bring a different perspective, furthermore complementary, on how the ancient Greeks apprehended (or not) the concept of oblique.

A dissertação examina, a partir de um enfoque multidisciplinar que contempla aspectos estéticos, históricos e antropológicos, as imagens de negros de ganho realizadas por Christiano Jr. em cerca de 1865 no Rio de Janeiro. O objetivo é sublinhar seu caráter contraditório quando colocadas em perspectiva de longa duração. Mesmo sem romper com os padrões estéticos da época, as fotografias de Christiano Jr. introduzem elementos que representam uma diferenciação, uma vez que subvertem certos elementos estruturais da imagem do negro, temáticos e compositivos, quebrando o código de silêncio, ocultamento e disfarce que marca a relação da sociedade brasileira com o tema da escravidão. O trabalho desdobra-se em três movimentos. O primeiro capítulo apresenta uma análise detalhada do trabalho de Christiano Jr., ressaltando sua trajetória e o sistema de consumo e circulação em que suas fotografias se inserem. O segundo caracteriza os padrões tradicionais de representação da figura do negro e das camadas populares estabelecendo relações entre esses gêneros consolidados e as fotografias de Christiano Jr. O último capítulo sublinha uma espécie de fissura no rígido código de representação iconográfica do escravo e propõe que o trabalho do fotógrafo açoriano seja lido não mais como um documento neutro sobre os usos e costumes da época ou apenas como reiteração de um olhar preconceituoso, mas como registro de uma relação complexa entre o fotógrafo e seus modelos, como um elemento constitutivo - e, portanto, carregado de sentidos, mesmo que paradoxais - daquela sociedade que se via às voltas com a crise aguda do regime escravagista. / The aim of this work is to examine, from a multidisciplinary approach (aesthetic, historical and anthropological), images of black slaves and black wage earners made by the Azorean photographer Christiano Jr. in mid of the 1860\'s in Rio de Janeiro. The purpose is to emphasize their contradictory character when placed in a long-term perspective. Even without breaking with the aesthetic standards of the period, the pictures of Christiano Jr. introduce elements that represent a differentiation as they subvert certain thematic and compositional structural aspects of images of black labors, thus breaking the code of silence, concealment and disguise that characterizes the relationship between the Brazilian society and the system of slavery. The work develops in three movements. The first chapter presents a detailed analysis of the work of Christiano Jr. highlighting his career and the system of consumption and circulation of his images. The second features the traditional patterns of representation of the figure of the black working classes relating them with the pictures of Christiano Jr. The last chapter stresses a kind of fissure in the strict code of the iconographic representation of the slaves and proposes that the work of the azorean photographer be read not as a neutral document about the uses and customs of the time or only as a reiteration of a biased look, but as a record of a complex relationship between the photographer and his models as a constituent component - therefore charged with meaning - of a society that was itself grappling in an acute crisis of the slavery regime.

Foi nossa intenção neste trabalho estudar a imagética das emissões locais das vinte e três cidades cunhadoras da Palestina, durante os séculos II a.C. ao II d.C., a fim de entender em que medida a tipologia dessas emissões locais revelam a afirmação política e/ou contraposição à dominação romana no caso das populações locais e os aspectos de instrumentalização política da moeda por parte dos romanos. Também foi nossa intenção neste trabalho, a partir dos estudos monetários, analisar a paulatina influência que a civilização romana estabelecera na região da Palestina, assim como seu relacionamento com a cultura grega e hebraica já presentes na região. Para tanto analisamos as moedas que foram cunhadas nas cidades costeiras: Acco (Ptolemaida), Ascalon (Ashkelon), Cesaréia Marítima, Dora (Dor), e Gaza; nas cidades do interior: Jerusalém (Aelia Capitolina), Citópolis (Nysa, Beth-Shean, Beisan), Gaba, Gamala, Marisa (Maresh), Neápolis (Nablus, Shechem), Sebaste (Shomron, Samaria), Séforis (Zipori, Diocaesarea) e Tiberíades (Tveriah) e nas cidades da Transjordânia: Bostra (Beser), Canata (Keneth), Filadélfia (Rabbat Ammon), Gadara (Gader), Gerasa (Geresh), Hippos-Susita, Panias (Cesaréia Filipe, Banias), Pella (Pehal), e Petra (Reqem) durante o período acima apontado; procuramos nos aprofundar no estudo das fontes textuais e da bibliografia existente; e por fim utilizamos os métodos de análise disponíveis para a iconografia monetária de sorte a atingirmos os objetivos propostos. / It was our intention in this work was to study the imagetic of local coinage from Palestine of the twenty three city-coins during the roman domination between II century BC. until II century AD. Observing the monetaries types we intended to understand how the local typology revels: a) aspects of political instrumentalization of the coin for the romans; b) political affirmation and the counterpoint to roman domination in the case of the local populations. Also it was our intention in this work from the moneatries studies, to analyse the gradual influence that the roman civilization establishes in the region of Palestine, as well as its relationship with the greek and hebrew culture present in the region. For this we analyse the coins that was struck in the coastal cities: Akko (Ptolemais), Dora (Dor), Caesarea, Ascalon (Ashkelon) e Gaza; in the inland cities: Jerusalem (Aelia Capitolina), Nysa-Scythopolis (Bet-Shean, Beisan), Gaba, Gamala, Marisa (Maresh), Neapolis (Nablus, Shechem), Sebaste (Shomron, Samaria), Sepporis (Sippori, Diocaesarea) e Tiberíades (Tveriah) and in the cities of Transjordan: Bostra (Beser), Canatha (Keneth), Philadelphia (Rabbat Ammon), Gadara (Gader), Gerasa (Geresh), Hippos-Susita (Susita), Paneas (Caesarea Philippi, Banias), Pella (Pehal), e Petra (Reqem) during the period above pointed; we tried to deep in the study of literal sources and the actual bibliography; finally we use the available methods of analysis for the monetary iconography with the finality to attain our goals.

La thèse s’intéresse au duo amical entre hommes en France aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles. Le corpus, aux sources très diverses, écarte à la fois les femmes, les clercs et les intellectuels. Il s’agit d’étudier la réception des idées philosophiques, le regard porté sur la norme et la pratique de l’amitié. Après avoir retracé l’apport antique, patristique et médiéval, le cadre social est défini, notamment en ce qui concerne la place de la famille. Puis, les dictionnaires offrent un bon aperçu des différentes connotations des termes « amitié » et « ami ». Enfin, le travail s’attache à suivre le cours d’une amitié, de sa genèse à sa mort. L’importance du choix de l’ami et sa vertu transcendent le discours des XVIe et XVIIe siècles. Les gestes de l’amitié sont recherchés et presque codés. La peur de l’abandon ou de la trahison est très présente. On s’interroge beaucoup sur la possibilité, voire l’obligation, de la transgression des règles sociales. Les contemporains recherchent un équilibre, toujours difficile à obtenir et à garder. Concorde et Charité sont les deux notions non pas tant concurrentes que connexes à l’amitié. L’amitié-duo se vit en effet dans une société où l’amitié est omniprésente. Enfin, la mort ne scelle pas, en théorie, la fin d’une amitié. Le second tome de ce travail présente la méthodologie suivie pour l’élaboration du corpus ainsi que les raisons de la mise à l’écart des femmes. Les sources et la bibliographie sont également présentées dans ce dernier volume. / The purpose of this dissertation is to study the influences of the norm on the representations of friendship and its practice in France during the 16th and the 17th centuries. The corpus draws aside both intellectuals and women to focus on the non-enclosed people. How two individuals are able to make friends with each other in the 16th and 17th centuries within a society itself thought in terms of friendship? This dissertation divides in two volumes. The first one is devoted to the study itself. The philosophical inheritance is presented, along with considerations on bonds linking the friend, the society, the couple and the family during the Modern Times. Questions of linguistics are also raised. The evolution of a friendship between two men is followed step by step from birth to death, as if it were a genuine living organism. Gestures and tokens of friendship are the bases of friendship. The latter is always endangered by the fragile balance between the social demands and the requirements of friendship. In the second volume are presented the methodology used to gather the documentary corpus, as well as our historical sources and bibliography. Reasons why women were excluded from our research work make the core of a specific chapter.

Le Don Quichotte de Cervantès a inspiré tous les domaines artistiques du XIXème siècle (1789-1914). Le choix de regrouper dans un même corpus les arts graphiques et plastiques, les arts populaires, les arts du spectacle et cinématographiques, permet de voir comment les arts s’influencent, se répondent ou s’opposent. Le Don Quichotte est, comme tout sujet littéraire traité dans les domaines artistiques, confronté à son image littéraire, celle créée par son auteur. Notre volonté est de distinguer comment se profilent puis se figent les caractéristiques physiques des personnages principaux au cours du XIXème siècle et ce, principalement en France.Les artistes sont amenés à interpréter le texte. Ils se détachent de l’image littéraire pour s’intéresser aux possibilités plastiques et iconographiques qu’offre le roman de Cervantès. Au-delà de la traduction plastique d’un texte littéraire, l’enjeu est de comprendre comment les artistes parviennent à s’insérer dans la pensée de leur société, c'est-à-dire comment ils arrivent à influer sur la lecture d’une œuvre littéraire. En comparant l’iconographie de don Quichotte à celle d’autres héros, il s’agit de voir en quoi le personnage créé par Cervantès permet aux artistes de se réapproprier cette silhouette et à quelle fin. Son image est largement exploitée dans les domaines de la publicité et de la caricature. L’étude vise à saisir par quels moyens les deux héros vont se retrouver transposés dans une société pour en faire, tantôt la critique, tantôt l’apologie, au gré des contingences politiques, économiques et sociales, voire oniriques ou fantaisistes, c'est-à-dire sans substrat critique et par pure référence ludique. / The Don Quixote of Cervantes has inspired all fields of arts of the nineteenth century (1789-1914). The choice to group in one corpus the visual arts, popular arts, performing arts and film, let us see how the arts influence, answer or oppose each other. The Don Quixote is, like any literary subject within the arts, confronted with his literary image. Our desire is to distinguish the emerging profiles of the main characters of nineteenth century France and then analyse their physical characteristics.Artists are asked to interpret the text. They detached themself from the literary image and have greater interest in the visual and iconographic opportunities offered within the novel of Cervantes. Beyond the visual translation of a literary text the challenge is to understand how artists manage to fit into the thinking of their society, or in other words, how they can influence the reading of a classic work of literature. By comparing the iconography of Don Quixote through other heroes we can understand how the character allows artists to adapt this figure and for what purpose. His image is widely used in the fields of advertising and caricature. The study aims to understand the means by which the two heroes will find themselves transposed into a society to make, sometimes critical, sometimes complientary comments, according to the political contingencies, or economic, social, even whimsical and fantastical i.e. without a basis of critical reference and amusing.

Le mythe de Médée, reçu par la première modernité comme un paradigme complet depuis la Conquête de la Toison d’or jusqu’à son retour sur le trône de Colchide, compose un prisme à multiples facettes : « Médée-tueenfant » (La Péruse), le personnage légué par la tragédie attique et devenu archétype d’une violence contrenature, y croise Médée magicienne, qui bouleverse le lignage et la ligne du temps, mais aussi la princesse orientale éprise d’un héros civilisateur. Pétrie par la culture chrétienne et admise au répertoire des arts officiels, cette figure ambivalente se rend perméable aux recherches esthétiques et aux débats éthiques des Temps modernes, en vue de l’expression de l’horreur, de l’allégorisation de la gloire, comme dans la représentation des passions.Or, la fondation de l’Ordre de chevalerie de la Toison d’or au duché de Bourgogne, en 1430, jusqu’à la fin de la Guerre de succession d’Espagne où se redessine la carte des puissances européennes, fait de la fable un miroir fictionnel privilégié des jeux de pouvoir entre les grandes dynasties européennes, en tant qu’instrument du discours programmatique du Prince. Dans le paysage culturel d’influences communes que forment les Cités-États de l’Italie et le royaume de France, cette étude montre, par la réunion de l’iconographie de Médée, l’analyse de saprésence dans les imprimés et de ses réécritures à la scène d’après l’antique, comment les échanges entre les arts visuels et les arts du texte oeuvrent à l’établissement d’un motif héroïque paradoxal. Ou comment Médée « devient Médée », renouvelant le serment que lui avait fait jurer Sénèque : « Fiam ». / The exceptional scope provided by the myth of Medea, which spans from the Conquest of the Golden Fleece to her return to the throne of Colchis, was received in its entirety by the Early Modern Arts and offers a multi-faced prism : Medea “tue-enfant” (La Péruse), the character left by the Ancient ancient Greek tragedy that became an archetypal figure of monstrous violence, crosses the path of the oriental lover of a civilizing hero, and also the enchantress who scatters lineages and timelines. Sculpted by the Christian culture and allowed into the official artistic repertory, this ambivalent figure absorbs the aesthetics and ethical debates of modernity. Indeed, Her Medea’s myth can be used for the expression of horror, allegories of glory, as well as expression of the passions.In addition, from the establishment of the Order of the Golden Fleece, by the Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to the end of the War of the Spanish Succession (which redefined the entire map of major European powers), Medea’s myth becomes one of the most efficient fictional mirrors of the political disputes between the most influential families of Europe, as an instrument of the publication of the Prince programme. Into the landscape of the cultural influences shared by the States of Early Italy and the French Kingdom, this study intends to show, by analysingthe spread of iconography of Medea, her presence in printed material and her classical performance reception and rewriting, how the exchanges between visual and literary productions work towards the definition of a paradoxical heroic standard. Where Medea “becomes Medea” and renews the oath that Seneca made her take: “Fiam”.

Cette thèse se concentre sur l’iconographie des céramiques polychromes à pâte argileuse jaunâtre, connues sous le nom de buff ware et attribuées à Nishapur aux IXe-Xe siècles. Ces céramiques ont la particularité d’être décorées par des scènes à figures humaines, animales et d‘oiseaux souvent sur un fond jaune vif, peintes de couleurs vertes et noires et parfois rouges. Depuis leur découverte en 1935, l’iconographie de ces scènes est restée un sujet de débat parmi les chercheurs, sans réponse définitive. Cette recherche vise à apporter un regard complémentaire sur cette production originale de céramiques d’Iran oriental. Le but de cette étude est de revisiter les questions et les réponses existantes, et aussi d’aborder de nouvelles hypothèses. Les questions comprennent la connaissance, la production et l’iconographie de ces céramiques. La première partie de cette étude expose l’histoire et les différents aspects géographiques et socioculturels de la ville médiévale de Nishapur. Dans la deuxième partie sont étudiées la production, la distribution, la chronologie et la morphologie de ces céramiques afin de définir leurs caractéristiques. La troisième partie est consacrée à l’identification des scènes représentées sur les céramiques polychromes de Nishapur et à l’analyse de leur iconographie. Y sont proposées plusieurs hypothèses sur l’iconographie des scènes liée à la mythologie persane, aux traditions, aux légendes, aux croyances et aux rituels. Cette recherche est basée sur une étude approfondie de 30 céramiques principales, 139 céramiques complémentaires et 35 objets de comparaison, représentés dans un catalogue de trois corpus. / This dissertation focuses on the iconography of polychrome ceramics having a buff body, known as buff wares and attributed to Nishapur in the 9th-10th centuries. These ceramics were decorated with scenes of human, animal and bird figures, often on a bright yellow background and painted in green, black and sometimes red. Since their discovery in 1935, the iconography of these scenes has remained a subject of research with no definitive result. The research aims to provide a complementary fresh look at this original ceramic production of eastern Iran. The intention of this study is to revise the existing questions and answers, and to approach new hypothesis. The questions concern the characterization, the production and the iconography of these ceramics. The first part of this study exposes history and different geographical and sociocultural aspects of the medieval city of Nishapur. The second part of the study inquires the production, the distribution, the chronology and the morphology of theses ceramics. The third part focuses on the iconography of the scenes represented on Nishapur buff wares. It proposes a number of hypothesis on the iconography of the scenes related to Persian mythology, traditions, legends, beliefs and rituals. This research is based on a detailed study on 30 main wares, 139 complementary ceramics and 35 comparison objects, represented in a catalogue, which is completed by detailed drawings of the ceramics.

Les répertoires iconographiques rupestres du Sahara central ont pâti du contexte historique et humain de leur découverte, puis de leur gestion tant scientifique que patrimoniale. Leur profusion et les difficultés du terrain saharien ont été et sont toujours des facteurs pénalisants, mais la méconnaissance dont souffrent encore ces productions des cultures préhistoriques, plus d’un siècle et demi après leur révélation, incombe clairement aux acteurs passés et présents de leur étude. Même si nous admirons ces images pour leurs qualités esthétiques, ce sont des vestiges archéologiques à part entière, devant être étudiés comme tels. De nos jours, les outils numériques et informatiques permettent, d’une part, d’améliorer quantitativement et qualitativement leur documentation grâce aux logiciels d’amélioration d’image utilisés pour l’enregistrement et le relevé ; d’autre part, d’interroger plus objectivement ces œuvres par le biais d’autres outils et de méthodes performantes d’analyse des données, au travers desquels leur différenciation stylistique peut être mise en évidence. L’application des démarches développées dans cette recherche à quelques parois ornées du site de Séfar, lieu emblématique de la Tasīli-n-Ăjjer (Algérie), montre que l’usage de ces outils, sous-tendu par des bases théoriques et méthodologiques rigoureuses, permet de proposer une nouvelle approche de ces images rupestres, plus conforme à leur nature de données scientifiques. / The rock images of the central Sahara have suffered from the historical and human context of their discovery and then from both their scientific management and their heritage management. Their abundance and the difficulties of the Saharan field have been and are still negative factors, but the lack of knowledge from which these productions of prehistoric cultures are still suffering more than a century and a half after their discovery, clearly falls to those studying them in the past and present. Even if we admire these images for their aesthetic qualities, these form an integral part of the archaeological remains and should be studied as such. Nowadays, the digital and computerised tools enable us, firstly, to quantitatively and qualitatively improve their documentation thanks to image enhancement software used for the recording and the tracing; secondly, to more objectively investigate these artefacts by using other effective data-analysis tools and methods thanks to which their stylistic differences can be highlighted. The application of the processes developed in this research to several adorned walls at the Sefar site, an emblematic area of the Tasīli-n-Ăjjer (Algeria), shows that the use of these tools, supported by rigorous theoretical and methodological basis, allows us to offer a new approach to these rock images, more appropriate to their characteristic of being scientific data.

Le corpus de sculptures romanes en bois de la région de Bourgogne est réuni pour la première fois dans un catalogue, complété par une documentation photographique et bibliographique. Les vingt-cinq sculptures répertoriées sont étudiées du point de vue stylistique, iconographique, technique. Au XIIe siècle, une véritable école de sculpture en bois monastique semble se déployer dans les limites du duché de Bourgogne, à l’origine d’une grande variété d’apports formels et techniques. Les sculptures les plus représentatives pour la compréhension des nombreux apports sont étudiées dans le détail. Leurs relations stylistiques avec les manuscrits de la renaissance carolingienne, la sculpture ottonienne et la sculpture monumentale contemporaine en pierre sont indiquées par l’analyse des caractéristiques internes qui distinguent les différents langages formels. La description iconographique montre la dénotation précise avec laquelle le sujet sacré est figuré. Les procédés techniques de création sont comparés par l’examen direct des sculptures, et par la récolte des données disponibles. Pour plusieurs œuvres, de nouvelles datations sont proposées ; des sculptures inédites et des artistes précis sont mis en lumière. Les apports de la sculpture sur bois de la région auvergnate sont précisés. La tradition des reliques insérées dans les sculptures est vérifiée par rapport au rôle plus ou moins significatif qu’elle peut avoir dans l’élaboration de la forme. Un chapitre est consacré à la méthodologie de l’étude de la polychromie des sculptures en bois. Les conservateurs-restaurateurs sont investis d’un rôle crucial dans la collecte scientifique des données qui témoignent de l’histoire des techniques artistiques. Des propositions pour améliorer les procédures d’examen et de documentation sont avancées. / For the first time, the corpus of Roman wood sculptures from Burgundy is gathered together in a catalogue, with added photographic documents and bibliography. The twenty-five sculptures are listed and studied from a stylistic, iconographic and technical point of view. In the XIIth century, an actual school of monastic wood sculpture seemed to develop within the boundaries of the duchy of Burgundy, bringing a great diversity as far as formal and technical contributions are concerned. The sculptures that are the most representative to help the understanding of those numerous contributions are thoroughly studied. Their stylistic relationships with manuscripts dating back from the Carolingian Renaissance, with the Ottonian sculpture and the contemporary monumental stone sculpture, are pointed out with the analysis of internal characteristics, setting apart different formal languages. The iconographic description shows the specific denotation used in the representation of the holy character. The technical processes of creation are compared through the direct examination of the sculptures and through the collection of usable information. For several pieces, a new dating was suggested; new sculptures and specific artists are brought to notice.The contributions of the wood sculpture from the Auvergne region are specified. The tradition of inserting relics into sculptures is put in relation to the relatively important influence it can have on the building of the shape. One chapter is dedicated to the methodology in the study of wood sculptures’ polychromes. The conservators-restorers play a crucial part in the act of scientifically collecting information attesting the evolution of artistic techniques. Some suggestions are put forward to improve the processes of examination and the collecting of information.

The goal of this thesis was to offer a functional database of stone sculptures, ceramics and textiles to scholars investigating Recuay iconography, through which human figures, their attributes, clothing styles, functions and possible status in society could be examined. A second objective was to enrich the general knowledge of Recuay society and the agencies acting in it. Based on this research, one main conclusion is that the Recuay culture was a stratified society in which warriorhood and ancestry played vital roles. Analyses of the monoliths reveal that only men were represented as petrified ancestors by the Recuay. The central position and larger size of men in the representations of ceremonies on the ceramics also imply the predominance of men in religious life. Among the Recuay men, however, hierarchical differences appear to have also existed. The different sizes and positions of male figures within scenes, and the variations of attributes and clothing styles among warriors and guardians all seem to refer to different social positions. The smaller sizes, less elaborately decorated clothes and often auxiliary positions of women in iconographical representations, on the other hand, seem to suggest that women held lower ceremonial statuses. Nevertheless, the presence of women – often associated with cups or shells, represented in copulation scenes or holding a child - seems to have been a crucial element of the ceremonies. In this dissertation, it is proposed that women’s procreative abilities made them vital aspects of religious life as they added significance to the rituals by their overt reference to fertility. By profiling themselves mainly as warriors or at the centre of libation scenes, men, on the other hand, could extract power from the rituals in which they were key players. Ceramics were therefore not only used within ancestry ceremonies in order to carry out libations, but they were probably also commissioned in order to enhance, the ceremonial status of certain men, and perhaps also to accentuate their political position in society. / Doctorat en Histoire, art et archéologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished