AP Art History: Exhaustive Non-Western Art Review

Administrative Business and Portfolio Deadlines

  • AP Art History Review Kickoff: The instructor is initiating a non-Western art review, emphasizing the need for deeper study of non-European material compared to the familiar European context.

  • Portfolios and Submissions: AP portfolios are due soon, with about half yet to be uploaded. The instructor has expressed concern over the progress.

  • Student Correction: A specific student has been instructed to crop a photo of a jacket with commercially purchased patches to redirect focus away from those patches. This modification must be completed by 03:00.

Mesoamerica and Indigenous North America

  • Mayan Architecture (Yaxilan):

    • Roof Comb: An ornamental structure on top of a building, often featuring open-work stone design in Yaxilan.

  • Mexica/Aztec Culture (Tenochtitlan/Mexico City):

    • Templo Mayor: A significant double-pyramid structure dedicated to two primary deities.

    • Huitzilopochtli: The deity of the sun and war, associated with human sacrifice; one pyramid is dedicated to him.

    • Tlaloc: God of agriculture and rain, with the second pyramid dedicated to him. The dual nature of these temples highlights the Aztec moral and cultural outlook.

    • Coyolxauhqui: Goddess of the moon and sister to Huitzilopochtli; a large sculpture of her can be found at the base of the stairs leading to Huitzilopochtli’s pyramid.

  • Pacific Northwest (Kwakwaka’wakw and Tlingit):

    • Transformation Mask: A two-stage mask indicating the connection between natural and human spirits. It typically transforms from an animal form (e.g., a raven) to reveal a human face.

    • Potlatch: A ceremonial gift-giving event for significant life milestones, serving to demonstrate wealth, status, and community support.

  • American Southwest (Ancestral Puebloans):

    • Pueblo: Settlements in the Four Corners area (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah) that are often carved into rock faces, such as those at Mesa Verde.

    • Kiva: Circular, often underground spaces for community gatherings that are used for both ritual and everyday activities.

  • Incan/Andean Art:

    • Tokapu: Refers to the grid-like insignias on textiles, which serve as historical and status markers, akin to family crests.

Oceania and the South Pacific

  • Papua New Guinea (Malagan Society):

    • Malagan Ceremonies: Funerary practices involving masks or sculptures that are temporary and discarded after mourning as they aren't meant to be permanent.

  • Spiritual Concepts:

    • Mana: A supernatural life force believed to exist in all beings and objects, with certain items acting as vessels for this energy.

  • Polynesia (Hawaii):

    • ‘Ahu ‘ula: Feather capes made from thousands of parrot feathers, seen as royal and filled with mana.

  • Easter Island (Rapa Nui):

    • Moai: Monumental sculptures that symbolize spirits or ancestors.

    • Ahu: The stone platforms that typically support the Moai.

  • Textiles and Navigation:

    • Tapa / Bark Cloth: Fabric produced by flattening tree bark.

    • Hiapo: The Niue term for decorative bark cloth featuring motifs like Tokapu, denoting family and status.

    • Buk Mask: Unique masks from the Torres Strait made from turtle shells, representing connections between human and ancestral spirits, often used in rites.

    • Wapepe (Navigational Chart): Tools made from lightweight wood to represent ocean currents and islands, primarily understood by their creators.

Southeast Asian Traditions: Hinduism

  • The Hindu Trinity:

    • Brahma: The Creator.

    • Shiva: The Destroyer; depicted in the Nataraja form, embodies destruction leading to renewal, often shown with fire and drum.

    • Vishnu: The Maintainer, typically represented with four arms holding a sword, disc, lotus, and mace, balancing creation and destruction.

  • Religious Architecture and Icons:

    • Lakshmana Temple: A major Hindu religious site.

    • Angkor Wat: Notable for blending Hindu and Buddhist elements.

    • Mudras: Gestures in sculptures conveying specific meanings, akin to gestures in early Christian art.

    • Shikara: The prominent mountain-shaped tower on Hindu temples.

    • Garbhagriha: The main room housing the deity’s statue, accessible to worshipers for personal interaction.

    • Yakshi: Female deities linked to fertility and depicted as dancing figures.

    • Puja: The ritual practice of maintaining a dynamic relationship with a deity statue through offerings and care.

Buddhist Art and Philosophy

  • Siddhartha Gautama: The Buddha, who renounced wealth for enlightenment, teaching that life involves suffering, which can be transcended through the Eightfold Path and Nirvana.

  • Forms of the Buddha:

    • Shakyamuni Buddha: Represents the historical Buddha in meditation.

    • Vairochana Buddha: The universal essence of Buddha, often depicted as powerful and regal.

    • Ushnisha: The head bump symbolizing protection during meditation.

  • Concepts of Worship:

    • Bodhisattva: Compassionate beings postponing Nirvana for the benefit of others.

    • Darshan: The shared experience of seeing the divine, activated when the eyes of sculptures are painted in.

    • Consecration: Rituals to invite the divine presence into sculptures.

  • Structures:

    • Stupa: A non-entry meditational structure, with circumambulation as a method of worship.

    • Torana: Gates surrounding stupas adorned with guardian figures.

    • Wat: A term for temples in Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand, exemplified by Angkor Wat’s syncretic blend of Hinduism and Buddhism.

East Asian Philosophy

  • Confucianism: Based on Kong Fuzi’s writings, it promotes traditional values and social hierarchy, emphasizing community over individuality, seen in architectures like the Forbidden City.

  • Taoism: Centers on harmony between opposites (Yin and Yang) and personal reflection on nature.