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What: Angkor Wat
When: 12th Century
Where: Cambodia
Culture: Late Asian -
How made: sandstone blocks
Why/Significance? Religious temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and later converted to buddhism; Largest religious monument in the world
What: Travelers by Mountains and Streams
Artist: Fan Kuan
When: 1000 CE(Song Dynasty)
Where: China
Culture: Late Asian - China
How made: ink on silk hanging scroll
Why/Significance? An example of landscape as a subject (previously it was only consdered a setting for figures); Neo-Confucianism - seeing things not through the human eye but in the light of their own principles (li)
What: Six Persimmons
When: 13th Century (Song Dynasty)
Where: China and taken to Japan
Culture: Late Asian - China
How made: Ink on paper
Why/Significance? Part of paintings that were displayed specifically during tea gatherings; thought to be used specifically for an autumn tea gathering.
What: Jocho Amida Buddha
Artist: Jocho
When: 1053 CE
Where: Japan
Culture: Late Asian - Japan
How made: Gold leaf and lacquer on wood
Why/Significance? Shows a significant central figure (buddha) for Buddhism and it is also thought to be the most idealistic sculptured image of buddha
What: Colossal Head
When: 1200-900 BCE
Where: San Lorenzo, Mexico
Culture: Olmec
How made: Basalt carving — Relief in the round
Why/Significance? Represent portraits of Olmec rulers through the naturalistic details and difficulty it would take to create the heads.
What: Burial Mask of Pakal the Great
When: 683 CE
Where: Pakal’s tomb, Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, Mexico.
Culture: Maya culture
How made: Jade, shell, and pearl
Why/Significance? The mask was used to represent Pakal’s spirit in the afterlife and it was a symbol of his power and authority — Attention to detail and intricately designed; Ear spools as a symbol of elite society.
What: Pyramid (“El Castillo”) with Chacmool in Foreground
When: 9th-12th century CE
Where: Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico
Culture: Maya Culture
Why/Significance? Chacmool’s were used for human sacrifices — the flatness of the statue acts as a sort of “altar” for human sacrifice
What: The Founding of Tenochtitlan from Codex Mendoza
When: 1545 CE
Culture: Mexica Culture - Aztecs
How made: ink and color on paper
Why/Significance? The painting gives a rough map of Tenochtitlan and identifies the founders of Tenochtitlan(people surrounding the eagle).
What: The Goddess Coatlicue
When: 1500 CE
Where: Tenochtitlan, Mexico City, Mexico
Culture: Mexica culture - Aztecs
How made: Basalt sculpture
Why/Significance? The statue depicts the goddess Coatlicue and shows her as a powerful figure through the snake features as well as the scary features such as a necklace of hands and skulls
What: Earspool
When: 300 CE
Where: Sipán, Peru
Culture: Moche Culture
How made: Gold, turqoise, quartz, and shell
Why/Significance? Ear spools were a sign of high status and worn by elite individuals. The gold on this ear spool especially suggests that it was only worn by someone of elite status.
What: All-T’oqapu Tunic
When: 1500 CE
Where: Peru
Culture: Inka
How made: camelid fiber and cotton
Why/Significance? Tunics were a mark of status and and were valued for the skill it would take to create such intricate designs.
What: Great Serpent Mound
When: 1070 CE
Where: Adams County, Ohio
Culture: Native North American
Why/Significance? There is theories of the mound being used to have associations with astronomy since the head aligns summer solstice sunset and the tail points to the winter solstice sunset. (large debate about the mounds actual purpose as there are no written records to indicate it’s original purpose)
What: Battle Scene, Hide Painting
When: 1796-1800 CE
Where: North Dakota
Culture: Native North American - Mandan Culture
How made: Tanned buffalo hide, dyed porcupine quills, and black, red, green, yellow, and brown pigments
Why/Significance? The depicted battle scene serves as a form of documenting history.
What: Cliff Palace
When: 1150-1300 CE
Where: Colorado
Culture: Native North American - Early Puebloan
How made: Stone and mud mortar as well as wooden beams
Why/Significance? A feat of architecture building into the cliffs as well as using a different technique (brick and mortar) than previous (adobe)
What: Baby Carrier
When: 19th Century CE
Where: Upper Missouri River Area
Culture: Native North American, Eastern Dakota (?)
How made: Wooden board, buckskin, and porcupine quill
Why/Significance? An early form of transportation for Children; Important to community (women created these together)
What: Chilkat Blanket
When: 1850 CE
Where: Southeast Alaska
Culture: Native North American - Tlingit people
How made: Mountain-goat wool, yellow cedar bark, linen thread
Why/Significance? worn by chiefs, matriarchs, and noble people as a status symbol. They were also hung outside of grave houses to honor deceased tribal members.
What: Black polished incised ware cup
When: 1700-1500 BCE
Where: Cemetery 2 at Faras, Sudan
Culture: Kush
Why/Significance? Used to hold food and water (bowl shape)
What: Vase with Rope
When: 9th-11th century C.E.
Where: Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria
Culture: Africa/Nigeria
How made: Leaded bronze
Why/Significance? The artist skillfully imitated rope around the vase; Intricate designs.
What: Yoruba Head
When: 12th-15th century CE
Culture: African
How made: Bronze
Why/Significance? portrays a ruler; headress; naturalism. In yoruba culture the head is thought of as the most significant part of the body
What: Saltcellar
When: 15th-16th century
Where: Sierra Leone
Culture: African — Sapi & Portuguese collaboration
How made: Ivory
Why/Significance? Made to hold salt, a rare and valuaexpensive objet at the time; the decorations on the salt cellar emphasize its importance and how having salt was a symbol of wealth.
What: Palace plaque
When: 17th century
Where: Benin city Kingdom
Culture: African - Benin
How made: Brass/bronze
Why/Significance? created to be displayed on pillars in an audience hall. The higheratic scale shows the importance of the center member, likely a king, and shows the types of stories that might be depicted on the audience hall’s pillars.
What: Cut-pile embroidered raffia panel (Kongolese Textile)
When: 17-19th CE
Culture: Africa - Kongo
Why/Significance? Raffia panels were a form of prestige item in Kuba society. The intricate design required many craftsworkers and could be crafted into garments or simply displayed as prestige items.
What: Nkisi Nkondi - “power figure”
When: 19th century
Culture: Africa - Kongo
Why/Significance? Used as a container for sacred substances and as an “oath taking image.” Could also be used as an avenger or guardian against evil actions or spirits. Activated by a spiritual specialist through chants, prayers, and preparation of sacred substances.
What: Crucifix
When: 16th-17th Century
Where: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Culture: Kongo Peoples
How made: solid cast brass
Why/Significance? Shows the spread of christianity to Africa because of the depiction of a crucifix which is often used in christian iconography.
What: Man (symbol of St. Matthew)
When: second half of 7th century
Culture: Medieval - Middle Ages
How made: ink and tempera on parchment
Why/Significance? Relation to christianity (saint matthew wrote a version of the bible). Intricate page designs.
What: Sutton Hoo Clasp
When: First half of 7th century
Where: Sutton Hoo burial mound, Suffolk, England
Culture: Hiberno-saxon/Anglo-saxon (Medieval)
How made: Gold plaques with granulation and inlays of garnet and millefiori glass
Why/Significance? Demonstrates the wealth and status of the person buried there because of the use of gold and animal depictions which are often associated with power.
What: Stave Church (exterior view and section drawing)
When: 1125-1150
Where: Borgund, Norway
Culture: Medieval - viking age
How made: —
Why/Significance? Shows medieval wooden architecture which relied on wooden joints and pegs and was built without nails using construction techniques linked to vikings .
What: Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast
When: 1066-1082 CE
Where: England or France
Culture: Anglo-Saxon (medieval)
How made: linen with wool
Why/Significance? Commemorates a struggle for the throne of England between William, the Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex.
sewn by women, battle of Hastings
What: Matthew the Evangelist
Left - Coronation Gospels; Right - Ebbo Gospels
When: 9th century
Culture: Medieval
Why/Significance? Contrast in style between Ebbo and Coronation gospels; Relation to christianity (Matthew writing the bible) A gospel book is a book containing the books of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who each offer their story of Christ’s life and death.
What: Crucifixion with Angels and Mourning Figures (outer cover of the Lindau Gospels)
When: 870-880 CE
Culture: Medieval
How made: Gold using repoussé technique
Why/Significance? Reference to classical style through the drapery; Relation to christianity (crucifix) with the biblical importance of the book. Shows an example of repoussé the style of hammering metal.
What: Last Judgement
When: 1120-1145 CE
Artist: Gislebertus
Culture: Medieval
How made: Relief
Why/Significance? Intimidating churchgoers to repent from their sins by showing the “final judgement” before going to heaven or hell.
What: Chartes Cathedral
When: 1194-1220 CE
Culture: Gothic
How made: Gothic architecture techniques(2 spires, ribbed vaults, flying buttressesm buttresses, rose window), Basilica floor plan
Why/Significance? Cathedral’s are places where religious services can take place. Hence, the architecture is tall and also allows light into the building to create a “heaven-on-earth”.
What: Jamb Statues from the royal portal (from Chartes Cathedral)
When: 1145-1155 CE
Culture: Gothic
How made: sculpture/carving
Why/Significance? Jamb statues represent key figures from the old and new testaments which helps to illustrate biblical stories. For members of society who would not be able to read this would also allow a visual representations of the stories they know from religious services.
What: Cathedral of Notre-Dame
When: 1120-1260 CE, Towers mid 15th century
Culture: Gothic
How made: Architecture (buttresses, flying buttresses, portals, rose window), basilica floorplan
Why/Significance? The cathedral of notre-dame houses significant religious and historical artifacts and is also a feat of gothic architecture.
What: Jamb Statues from Central portal (Reims cathedral)
When: 1250 (angel/Gabriel), 1240(virgin mary), 1230 (the visitation)
Culture: Gothic
How made: Carving/Sculpture
Why/Significance? Jamb statues represent key figures from the old and new testaments which helps to illustrate biblical stories. For members of society who would not be able to read this would also allow a visual representations of the stories they know from religious services.
What: Sainte Chapelle (interior, upper chapel)
When: 1239 - 1248 CE
Culture: Gothic
How made: Rib/Groin vaults, stained glass, buttresses & flying buttresses
Why/Significance? Sainte Chapelle is significant as it was a reliquary built to house the crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross, which were important relics to christian religion.
What: Virgin and Child
When: 1324 - 1339CE
Culture: Gothic
How made: Silver and gilt enamel
Why/Significance? The statue itself was created as a visual representation for/relating to christian religion, more specifically depicting the relationship between the virgin Mary and her son depicted in a tender way. The statue also serves a representation of gothic styles through the return of classical greek stlying in the clothing folds, but also the mini gothic architecture at the base of the statue.
What: Palace Chapel of Charlemagne
When: 792-805 CE
Culture: Medieval
How made: Central Plan cathedral, influences from Byzantine and Roman art
Why/Significance? Final resting place of Emperor Charlemagne, Emperor Charlemagne’s own palatine chapel
