Visual Communication

This chapter examines the cues supplied by one’s physical appearance, clothing, hairdo, tribal marks, tattoos, incisions and other marks on the body. The skin can be encoded to convey messages such as a “person’s rank, authority, ethnicity, group membership, gender, and ritual condition.” The communication function includes being an unfailing tell-tale sign of one’s ethnic origin, but they also convey social relations, spirituality, beauty and creativity as well as indicate lineage and family membership with the accompanying duties, status and obligations. Colours and the significance attached to them across various cultures in the context of tattoos, scarification and body art in general are also explored.