Lecture 9- Art of Early Mesoamerica

Intro to Mesoamerica: Cosmology

• vertical level universe

  • above: upperworld

  • middle: earth

  • below: underworld

Intro to Mesoamerica: Cosmology- Axis Mundi

AKA World Tree

• conduit between the 3 layers of the universe

• vertical axis connecting the multiple tiers of the universe

• tree or mountain

• vertical line that connects the horizontal planes

• fundamental to the way that mesoamerican cultures look at the world

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre Classic Period- Olmec

• changes in the way that people related to their enviornments

  • nomadic to settled way of life due to neolithic revolution

• shift in how ppl engaged with material culture

• rise of new media

• economy based on farming and trade

  • obsidian, jade

• world axis cosmology

  • caves = portals to underworld

  • mountains = access to celestial realm

• polytheistic

  • gods are mostly associated with natural phenomena: rain, life cycle of animals

  • animals like jaguars, eagles, snakes had great significance and spiritual power to the Olmec people

  • gods emphasized the importance of maize or corn, the main agri products of the olmec ppl

    • source of life

    • life cycle of maize

Medium

• the materials and/or methods used to create an artwork

Megalithic

• art or architecture that is created from large stones (megaliths)

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Life Cycle of Maize

• represented the cyclical nature of the universe

• a lot of symbolism in mesoamerican nature has to do with maize

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- San Lorenzo

• capital of Olmec

• sat on a plateau

• man made mountain that they built Lorenzo on = symbolic rep of the cosmic monster, or the Olmec dragon, or the Earth monster

• social zoning

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Olmec Earth Monster

• mouth open represents a gateway to the underworld with the 3 bands around the mouth = opening of the cave

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Social Zoning

people live in sections of the city corresponding to their social status

• rich people lived ON the platuea

• middle class lived farther down the plateau

• poorest citizens didn’t even get to be on the plateau— lived in flat land around the plateau

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period: Group E

• ritual complex

  • represents the unclear separation between the natural and built environment

  • certain structures, ritual artworks were placed in way that gave the environment significance

  • if they were placed in the right way in relation to each other and the land, the olmec thought that they could effectively recreate the moment of creation and the structure of the cosmos through their architecture

  • thought that if they put things in the right places, they could recreate certain events in olmec history and myth

• 4 elevated platforms representing the cardinal directions

• square/rectangular shaped open space for ceremony

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Olmec Colossal Heads

• carved in round AKA free standing and not attached to anything, not a relief sculpture

• thought to be heads of specific olmec rulers, commissioned by olmec rulers themselves

• carved without metal tools and had to use stones from the mountains 

  • that’s why scholars think that only the most powerful olmec rulers could commission this bc of the resources they had to expend

• share broadly similar facial features

  • wide and flattened nose

  • full lips

  • still individual

    • slant and depth of the eyes are different

    • specific shape of the lip and nose is different

    • wearing different headdresses

      • identifies the person as a ruler but the individual components of the headdress that aren’t repeated on other sculptures are characteristics of a specific ruler

• naturalistic

  • close to the appearance of the person that existed

  • portrayal of ruler that was “larger than life”

• new medium in art bc of transition to settled life

• rulership

  • physical presence projecting the pwoer of the ruler

  • special access to the divine

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Jade

• highly prized by the olmec

• valued for its rarity and blue-green color

• durable

• cyclical view of time and how the universe is made up of natural cycles of birth, growth, death, which is manifested everywhere in the natural world- typified by life cycle of maize

• common jade depictions: human figures, human-animal hybrids, kelts, personal ornament (beads, pendants, and ear flares)

• mark of status

• precious material

• ritualistic/ceremonial

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Jade: blue green color

• symbolized water AKA source of life

• symbolized cycle of maize

• symbolized cycle of birth, growth, death, and regeneration

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Jade: Kelts

ceremonial axe heads

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- Jade: Were-Jaguar

• type of jade celt (ceremonial axe head)

• distinctive supernatural being and artistic motif central to olmec religion, mythology, and elite symbolism

• Appears in numerous sculptures, carvings, and jade figurines, usually featuring characteristic traits: a cleft head, almond shaped eyes, downturned mouth, and a mix of human and feline features

• Could symbolize supernatural power, royal lineage

• Moving from earth to celestial realms: shows that shamans and rulers have special access to other realms

• Possesses power of creation

• jaguars = significant creature to olmec ppl

  • power and royal authority

• symbol of elite status

• royal lineage, supernatural power

• transformation of moving from earthly to celestial realm

  • could rep the special access that shamans and rulers had to the celestial realm

• reps a human embryo

  • symbolic of the spirit/seed that creates all life

  • power of creation

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- La Venta

• La Venta = great Olmec city

• civic and ceremonial center

  • pyramid made of rammed earth, representation of the sacred mountain, which is a symbol of the earth monster from the Olmec pantheon of gods

  • Example of monumental architecture that can now evolve bc ppl have settled

  • pyramid is surrounded by a closed plaza

  • representation of a sacred mountain

  • has 4 colossal heads

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- La Venta: Rammed Earth

• a building technique in which damp earth is compressed usually within a frame or mold, to form a solid structure

Intro to Mesoamerica: Pre-classic period- La Venta Stele

• south of the great pyramid

• central human figure, holding a curved stick and wearing a really elaborate, really large headdress

• beings floating around a central figure

  • small figures rep specific olmec deities

• this whole scene is related to ritual

• figure in the center = ruler/shaman

• commemoration of a ritual

  • important event

  • placed in public space to share with the people

  • tool for reinforcing the power of the ruler

  • Form of art able to evolved bc ppl have settled now and able to create larger pieces of art now