Art history Maya and Olmec

Warrior Vase (krater)

-Krater= type of vase used for mixing wine and water

• Mycenae Greece/ 1300 BCE

• Pottery= first narrative ceramic imagery

• Soliders marching off to battle

• Composite viewpoint

• Pottery detail depends on the event

• No indication of the natural world

Colossal head from San Lorenzo

• 1200-900 BCE
  - 13 tons of basalt

• head 8 of 17 total

• stone transported down the river

• facial features were individualized

• feathers acrossed headdress

• stone tools to carve

• first large scale sculpture in mesoamerica

• sense of naturalism

Offering 4

• north plaza/ 900-400 BCE

• 21 sculptures made of greenstone, one granite, one schistose

• thirteen figured are greenish serpentine

Chocolate Vessel

Maya/ 600-900 CE

• Ceramic 8 inches

• Scene involes a ruler and his court

• Vessel probably used for choclate drink- not just decoration

• owner was an artist and a ball player

• painted before firing- makes it more durable

• important as objects that are both used and gifted, ritual feasting, cultural significane

• heavily adorned

• maya glyphs- combining text and images

Maya rulers/ Yaxchilan lintel 24

Yaxchilan Mexico/ 725 CE

• Set above a doorway

• placed at the base of phyramids

• series of three panals

• scene represents a bloodletting ritual performed by the king and his wife

• queen pulls thorny rope through tongue

• ritual demonstrates her physical strength and connection to the gods

• king holds the burning spear

• sacrifice mirrors maya story of creation

• both are elaborately dressed

• glyphs mention exact date and location (Oct 24 709 CE)

• communicated power to the public

• public stone monuments were crucial to social and political cohesion

Temple 1

Tikal Guatemala/ 734 CE

• Man made sacred mountains

• connected to ruling family and patron deities

• echo mountain landscapes

• largest pyramid in the center of the city

• temple contains space for sacred rituals

• temple is topped by a large stone adn stucco roof comb

• stairs were for elite groups

• people would gather at the bottom

Lion gate

Mycenae Greece/ Thirteenth century BCE

• corbelled arch and post lintel and relieving triangle

• cyclopean masonry

• minoan style column between animals

• lion or composite creatures

• earliest monumental sculpture in Greece

Marine style octopus flask

Crete Greece

• 1500-1450 BCE

• ceramic height 11 inches

• hold a valueable liquid

• made in two pieces, then a handle and base added

• from palaikastro

• painted with a dark clay slip

• ceramic- one of the most importatn aspects of Minoan culture

• marine style pottery- decorative elements based on the sea

Snake goddess

Crete Greece/ 1600 BCE

• discovered by sir arthur evans at knossos

• found in a pit- purpose is unknown

• left arm and head were missing

• ceremonial guard- skirt with apron (cat on head)

• tiny waist, woman are white, men are red, long black hair

• naturalistic and movement

• made of faience

• goddess? elite woman?

Toreador fresco

From the palace at Knossos

• Crete Greece/ 1400 BCE

• most famous work of art from Crete

• bulls were sacred in Minoan culture

• part of a larger series of images

• typical stylistic traits of minoan art

• elongated fomrs, typical gender color, long black hair, sense of movement, naturalism

Mask of Agamemnon (gold death mask)

Mycenae Greece/ Grave circle A

• 1550-1500 BCE

• hammered gold

• one of 6 found in grave cirlce A

• had individualized features

• tied to the head