Hidden Treasures of

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Arts Documentary hosted by Griff Rhys Jones, published by BBC in 2011 - English narration

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Hidden Treasures of …. In this new, three-part series, Griff Rhys Jones - an avid art collector and enthusiast - ventures to remote corners of the globe to examine the artistic creativity of three disparate indigenous cultures to ask what we have lost, what is still being preserved, and to challenge preconceived notions surrounding the nature and value of tribal expression. "To be human is to create, and some of the most compelling art in the world has been made by some of its poorest people, and it fascinates me," comments Griff. "Can traditional art survive the modern world?" In each programme, Griff embarks on sometimes hazardous quests to remote communities that have produced extraordinary work, now seemingly part of a lost world, to discover what remains of ancient cultural art, the impulses that underpin it, and how it has been affected over time by political, social and religious incursions from the West. Each programme examines a different aspect of the whole subject. They are about belief, authenticity and identity.

[edit] Australian Art

In the first programme Griff sets out from Cairns in north-eastern Queensland on a voyage that encompasses the Torres Strait islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea, and recreates the journey of 19th-century anthropologist Alfred Cort Haddon, which brought back to Britain hundreds of objects from this still-remote community. Griff finds that its art remains closely bound up with secrecy and sorcery; the tradition of head-hunting; where magic abounds; and where, traditionally, art has always served the gods, in order to appease the spirits of nature. Sacred art survives to this day, but as Griff discovers, so does the preservation of many taboos and forbidden rituals long closed to outside eyes.

[edit] African Art

Griff Rhys Jones continues his quest to find traditional art in remote places by travelling to West Africa. Antique carvings from the region can fetch millions of pounds, but what makes a piece 'authentic', and are they still being made? Is there such a thing as pure African art? Griff starts his investigation in the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali where the Dogon people have used their carvings and sculptures as a spiritual tool to help them survive. Can belief in the power of these objects withstand the march of modernity? In a revelatory journey which ends in Accra, the capital of Ghana, Griff learns that the passage of history and modern realities have had a surprising influence on invention and creativity in contemporary West Africa.

[edit] Indian Art

In his quest to find out if traditional art still thrives among the indigenous people of the world, Griff Rhys Jones goes to India in search of exquisite textiles. Can he solve the mystery of an extraordinary Indian floor cloth kept in Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire for over 300 years? Who made it and does the skill that produced such a work still exist? Griff travels to Gujarat in India, famed throughout history for its beautiful handmade textiles. He goes off the beaten tracks to the towns and villages of the north-west plains and discovers how centuries-old printing, dyeing and embroidery techniques are still the cornerstones to a way of life. Finally, he travels to the heart of one of the most reclusive and fiercely traditional societies in India, the Rabari, who are famed for their toughness and their astonishing embroidery. Here, women spend years sewing dowry gifts - but can the custom survive in the 21st century?