Publisher's Synopsis
Human agents might not be the measure of all things. Nonetheless, human bodies often are, with size impacting on the ways in which we conceive of, interact with, and relate to the world around us. The scaling up or down of features - magnification and miniaturization - is particularly evident in the creation of anthropogenic items intended for use in religious ritual. Taking as its starting point the concept of 'materialities and meanings', this volume explores how human perceptions and understanding of magnified and miniaturized forms and structures are shaped and changed, both synchronically and diachronically, by our understanding of the human body and its size, and the impact that this has in our relationship with the wider world in the context of ritual practices.
