Mesoamerican Art Vocabulary

Flashcards about Maya, Teotihuacano, and Aztec art.

Maya, Caracol, Chichen Itza

the Spanish name of this structure refers to the spiral layout of its interior

Aztec, Alter of Frogs at Temple to Tlaloc, Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlan

The frogs symbolize the croaking of frogs that the Aztecs thought announced the coming of the rainy season

Maya, Rio Azul Tomb Painting, Peten

The murals on the side are meant to represent the watery underworld

Teotihuacano, Temple of Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan, Mexico

Teotihuacano temple where the feathered serpent is depicted.

Aztec, Coyolxauhqui Stone Disk

Aztec sculpture showing a dismembered goddess.

Paracas, embroidered mantle with medicine people figures

The medicine people figures are holding hallucinogenic mushrooms

Moche, Vessel of an owl-headed medicine woman

The owl headed woman represents the transformation medicine people would undergo when taking hallucinogens.

Wari or Tiwanaku, Four-cornered hat

This unusual hat would have been considered more valuable than gold among 5r Wari and Tiwanaku

Inca, Colcapata (checkerboard) tunic

These tunics were made for members of the Inca military to wear

Francisco Chivantito, Virgin of Montserrat, oil on canvas

The Inca royal estate of Chinchero is depicted in this painting

Sacabes

Elevated, stuccoed white walls which spanned the swamps

Caracol

Snail or shell

Uaxactun

“8 stones”

Popol Vuh

Book of the Community

Hero Twins

Main characters in the Popol Vuh

Hunter and Jaguar Deer

Quetzalcoatl

Aztec name for the feathered serpent

Tzompantli

Skull rack

Huitzilopochtli

The god of sun and war

Tlaloc

The god of rain

Chinampa

often called “floating gardens” but actually a type of raised-field farming

New Fire Cermony

Commemorates the end of the 52 year cycle

Coyolxauhqui

“Bells on the cheeks”

Daughter of Coatlique and Mixcoatl

Tolteca

Artist

Codex (plural:Codices)

A manuscript book

Puna

A high treeless plateau in the Peruvian Andes

Huaca

Anything that is sacred or unusual

Hanan and Hurin

Upperhalf/lowerhalf

Concept of duality and hierarchy

Uncu

Men’s tunic