5.5 Unit 5 Required Works

Chavín de Huántar

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• The architectural complexes were made from stone.
• The sculptures and Lazón Stela were made from granite.
• The jewelry was made from hammered gold.

• Chavín de Huántar was the religious capital of the Chavín people, and it had a temple people used for worship. It was also a pilgrimage site.
• The Lazón (means blade in Spanish) Stone was symbolic of a diety
• The relief sculptures were primarily decorative
• The nose ornament was probably worn during religious ceremonies to allowed the wearer to undergo a spiritual transformation

• The temple interior is filled with sacred maze-like tunnels and chambers. It consists of two sections: the Old and New Temple
• The inner-most chamber of the temple held the Lazón Stela which displayed a composite human-animal figure with jaguar characteristics
• The relief sculpture also featured similar animal motifs (symbols), primarily of jaguars and snakes
• The nose ornament had snake heads on both ends

• The Chavín civilization occupied in coastal Peru from 1200-500 BCE.
• This civilization was named after its main architectural site, Chavín de Huántar
• Most of the artwork is symmetrical and features composite figures

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

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• Sandstone

• This structure housed families. It had living quarters, ceremonial rooms, and a farming area.

• The structure was divided into multiple housing units.
• Contains kivas, which were pits in that ground that people gathered around to interact or conduct rituals

• The Mesa Verde Cliff dwellings inhabited the Ancient Puebloans, who were also known as the Anasazi, which means the “ancient ones.”

Yaxchilán

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Image Courtesy of Khan Academy

• The architectural complex was made from limestone

• This was a temple complex that also contained a main plaza that was surrounded by other buildings

• Both Structure 33 and Structure 40 had arched interiors and contained decorative reliefs sculptures
• Lintel 25 was placed above a doorway and depicted a narrative
  • Lady Xook (Mayan Queen) manifesting a serpent to have a spiritual vision
  • Lady Xook is also holding bloodletting materials as she prepares for a ritual

• The Mayans occupied the Yucatán peninsula from 1200-1500 CE
• Structure 23 is dedicated to Lady Xook
• Bloodletting was central to Mayan life, and the blood rituals were common for members of the royal family

Great Serpent Mound

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• Earthwork

• The intent is unclear, but it is possible that the site was used for astrological purposes

• An effigy mound (a mound in the shape of an animal) that represents a snake

• These mounds were very popular in Mississippian culture

Templo Mayor

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• The temple was made from stone.
• The Coyolxauhqui Stone was made from volcanic stone
• The Olmec-style mask was made form jadeite
• The Calendar Stone was made from basalt

• Each temple was dedicated to a deity
• The relief sculptures display narratives and were decorative
• The calendar was also used to coordinate rituals with the Aztecan calendar

• Stepped pyramids, which used stacked platforms to build the pyramid shape (this contrasts the flat, smooth-surfaced Egyptian pyramids).

• The Coyolxauhqui Stone is depicting an Aztec mythological event
  • Coyolxauhqui, the moon goddess, is plotting the death of her mother, Coatlicue, a "mother-earth" goddesss in Aztecan culture
  • When Coatlicue is killed, Huitzilopochtli, the brother of Coyolxauhqui, emerges and kills Coyolxauhqui, who falls down the shrine

• The Calendar stone reflects the cycle of time (which is important in Aztec culture) and depicts motif traditional to Aztecan cosmology
• The Olmec-style mask has frowning facial features

• The Aztecs were also known as the Mexica, and they inhabited Mexico from 1375-1520 CE
• They followed a polytheistic religion
• The temple was believed to be the center of the Aztec's universe, which is known as axis mundi
• One temple was dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of rain and agriculture. The other was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, fire, and the sun.
• The story of Coyolxauhqui is representative of how the Aztecs threw the bodies of sacrificed people down the temples
• The Olmec masks primarily demonstrates how the Aztecs developed a system of trade with other civilizations, and they also embraced artwork from previous cultures
• The temples were destroyed by the Spanish in 1520, who viewed Aztecan traditions as barbaric

Ruler’s Feather Headdress

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• Contains gold and feathers from quetzal and cotinga birds

• This headdress was worn by Motecuhzoma II during ceremonies

• Multiple long, green feathers (about 400) attached together

• 400 feathers symbolizes eternity

City of Cusco, including Qorikancha, Santo Domingo, and Walls at Saqsa Waman

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• Andesite

• Qorikancha was the city's main temple, it was originally used by priests to as an observatory (used to observe the night sky)
• The City of Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire

• The plan of the City of Cuzco was in the shape of the puma, which was a royal animal in Incan culture
  • The walls at Saqsa Waman were located at the "head" of the puma-shaped city
• The temple used special stone masonry and the interior was once decorated in gold
  • This was to represent sunshine as the temple originally honored the sun

• The Incans were masters of masonry

Maize Cobs

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• Metal alloys

• This may have been a part of a "garden" of corn, and was possibly used as a good luck charm to ensure a successful harvest

• Life-size replication of corn
• Uses the repoussé technique which is when a piece of metal is hammered to create texture

• Maize (corn) was a stable crop of the Incans in the Andes mountains

City of Machu Picchu

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• Granite

• The structure was used by members of the ruling class
• The observatory was used to chart the sun movements especially during the solstices
• The Intihuatana Stone aligns with the sun and was used for ceremonies

• Ashlar masonry consisting of many carved pieces of stone grooved together to fit the terraces in the cliffs

• Maccu Picchu include numerous other buildings. It was located in the central highlands of Peru, during the Incan Empire from 1450-1540 CE

All-T’oqapu Tunic

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• Camelid fiber and cotton

• These were garments worn by individuals to demonstrate their status and accomplishments in society

• Contains t'oqapu, which are are squares that decorate the garment. Each square symbolizes a particular person, event, or place.
• There are small slits in the fabric that are cut for the person's arms

• Acllas were the women who were chosen to weave textiles and fabrics, such as this tunic
• This piece demonstrates the Incan use of abstract designs and motifs

Bandolier Bag

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• Beadwork on leather

• This was a status symbol worn by both men and women

• A colorful beaded pouch with floral designs

• This bag comes from the Lenape Tripe who inhabited Eastern Delaware in the US
• The bags were made by women, and were typically worn across the shoulders
• The various materials used to make the bag, such as glass beads and silk ribbons from Europe, indicate the various trade networks that were present

Transformation Mask

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• Wood, paint, and string

• These masks were part of costumes that were used for dance performances and ceremonies

• A bird exterior with a human face on the inside

• This mask comes from the Kwakwaka’wakw people of the northwest coast of Canada
• The mask wearer would pull the strings to open and close the mask
• The human faces on the masks would sometimes show the faces of an ancestor; and these masks were also inherited by family members
• The birds had cultural significance

Painted Elk Hide

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• Painted elk hide

• This was worn by a warrior to demonstrate their accomplishments and display important battles
• These were also hung on walls as decoration

• Various animals were displayed with some being hunted
• The ritual Sun Dance, that was used to celebrate a hunt and honor the Creator deity is also displayed

• These elk hides depict the lives of communities living in the Plains located in Wyoming

Black-On-Black Ceramic Vessel

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• Blackware ceramic

• This was mainly a decorative vessel

• Various finishes on the vessel: some areas have shine, others are more matte
• Contains symmetrical abstract elements

• The vessel was made with a special technique that involved forming coils out of organic materials to form the shape, and then firing the pottery at high-temperatures. The suface was polished to give it the different finishes.