Mesoamerican/Pre-Columbian

Art

The Aztecs

Background• The Aztec civilization

dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.

Background Continued

• Around 1300 CE, about 200 years after the Maya Indians disappeared, a wandering tribe of Indians wandered into the Valley of Mexico. These people were called the Aztecs. 

• When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, other tribes were already in residence.

Becoming an Empire

• After a while, they began to conquer the neighboring tribes. They conquered first one tribe, and then another, and then another. They expanded and expanded until they had built an empire.  

Decline• Around 1500 CE, Spanish

Conquistadors arrived.

• The Spanish brought guns, horses, huge fighting dogs, and disease.

• By the mid-1500’s, the Aztec Empire had collapsed, and the Spanish took over. 

Aztec Art• Ancient Aztec art was primarily a form

of religious expression and a means for paying tribute to their gods.

• The people of the empire had an appreciation for a wide variety of insects, birds, fish and animals. A lot of their art reflected this. Animals were common themes.

Examples of Art- Aztec Pottery

- Aztec Sculptures

- Aztec Drawings (Pictographs)

- Aztec Ritual Art (Masks & Tattoos)

- Aztec Idols

- Aztec Double Headed figures• Art could be made with gold, silver, copper,

jewels, feathers, coral, clay and stone

The Aztec Calendar

Aztec Calendar• It is perhaps the most famous Aztec

sculpture in Aztec art history• This sculpture weighs an amazing 22 metric

tons and is 12 feet in diameter. • The face of Tonathiuh, the Aztec Sun God

can be found carved in the center of the stone.

• Surrounding the middle are 4 squares which are interpreted to be the 4 seasons.

• Circular bands symbolizing the heavens and the days are located around the face.

Tlaloc The Rain God“He Who Makes Things

Sprout”• One of the oldest identifiable

deities of Mesoamerica• The god was believed to give

rain at the beginning of each planting season

• Tlaloc’s shrine is in the Temple Mayor, the Aztec’s main temple in Tenochtitlan

• This mask was typically painted blue and composed of spectacle-like disks for eyes, a twisted nose and fangs

The Incas

Background Information

• The Incas began as a tribe in the Cuzco area.

• Founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200.

• They would be in current

day Peru.

Religion• The Inca were polytheists which means

they believed in many different gods.

• One of their main gods was Viracocha, who was believed to be the creator of the Inca.

• Another god, Inti, was the Sun God

Religion• They also believed silver was the tears

of the moon, and gold was believed to be the sweat of the sun.

• The Inca felt they had a very good relationship with the gods.

• Priests were thought to be able to do the bidding of the gods, so they were highly honored and often part of the royal family.

Religion• Huacas were widespread around the Inca

Empire. • Huacas were entities that resided in natural

objects such as mountains, boulders, streams, battle fields, other meeting places, and any type of place that was connected with past Incan rulers.

• The Inca were a deeply religious people. They feared that evil would befall at any time.

• They also believed in reincarnation, saving their nail clippings, hair cuttings and teeth in case the returning spirit needed them

Government• The rulers of the Inca civilization were

members of royal dynasties or families. • The emperor was called Inca. No other

people really were called Inca, but over time this term came to mean the society in general.

• The high priest, governors, and generals were important members of the royal council.

Art Work• The Incan craftsmen achieved a high

degree of respect and honor because of their skills in arts and crafts.

• They sculpted pottery which featured geometric designs painted in

black, red, brown, yellow,

and white.

Art Work• Incan weavers wove beautiful textiles

from alpaca, llama, and vicuña wool and from cotton.

Art Work• Metalworkers make ornaments, tools,

and weapons out silver, copper, gold, and bronze.

• Because llamas were very protected in the Andean region, lots of

stylized llama figures

were made by

metalworkers.

Art Work• Female statues

were often found with Incan

offerings to the gods.

Architecture• Famous

architecture

• This is called the MACHU PICCHU CITADEL. It is unsure exactly what this was designed for.

Other- Nazca Lines

Nazca Lines• These lines are a

series of giant ancient geoglyphs etched into the deserts of Peru

• The lines cover about 400 square miles, and about 300 figures have been documented

-

Nazca Lines cont.-Scholars believe that

these lines were created by the Nazca people,

who could also be considered Incan.

-Many other people speculate that the lines

could have been the work of aliens

The Mayans

Religion• Maya religion of western Honduras,

Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico (Chiapas and Yucatán) is a southeastern variant of Mesoamerican religion

• Mayan tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes

• Mayan religion is a contradistinction to orthodox Roman Catholic

Religion• Polytheistic• Offerings and Sacrifices

– Relations with the after-life– Deer, dogs, quail, turkey, fish, on occasion

humans

• Ritual Topography– Mountains, wells, caves assigned to ancestors

and deities

• Costumbre– “custom”, habitual religious practice

Architecture• Houses

• Temples– In honor of kings

• Courtyards

• Immense horizontal floors

• Steep stair cases

Tikal

Tikal• Region of the Petén Basin in what is

now northern Guatemala

• “ti ak'al”

– at the waterhole

Mayan Painting• Due to the humid and airy climate of

central America few Mayan paintings have survived

• Bonampak Murals: These bright and rich colored murals decorated the inside of a temple. The images depict scenes of nobility, battle and sacrifice.

Bonampak Murals

Mayan Sculpture• The Mayans created a multitude of

sculptures, using mostly stone, wood, stucco and jade.

• Most sculptures were either portraits depicting leaders disguised as Gods, stone lintels, or altars

Portrait of K'inich Janaab Pakal I

THE ENDBy: Jess, Abby, Allie,

Brian, Tony, Will and Ricky