The first full-length study examining Tolkien’s major narrative works through the lens of material culture studies, this book explores the treatment of objects and built environments of Tolkien’s works, from his non-Middle-earth children’s books to The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. From Bilbo’s mithril coat, the Silmarils and the One Ring itself to Bilbo’s weather-stained cloak and hood, Sam’s cooking gear, and Frodo’s orc clothing, Tolkien’s Material Cultures looks at the creation, gifting, retention, collection, display, and destruction of Middle-earth’s objects, and how they constitute a meditation on the role of things in human experience and community. Tolkien’s textual works are infused with people’s affective bonds with precious and everyday objects, which embody particular histories, values, and identities. Examining Middle-earth’s 20th- and 21st-century contexts, Marie H. Loughlin looks at post-war monuments and public commemoration; the birth of the museum; houses and homes; and the role that objects and built environments play in the mediation of personal and national trauma.
