ap art test 1 review

Tlatilco female figurine

Central Mexico, site of Tlatilco. 1200-900 B.C.E. Ceramic. Form: Curved, rounded Faces blended into one another "Tally mark" lines indicating texture and shape of hair (possibly alludes to race/ethnicity) Somewhat discolored by time and wear Content: Two-faced, one body Naked (presumably), as no clothes are depicted and the nipples are emphasized Matching (elaborate) hairstyles Context: Tlatico, c. 1500 - 1200 Creator's identity unknown Function: To depict the female figure and signify its importance Possibly an idol or physical manifestation/representation of a deity

City of Machu Picchu

Central highlands, Peru. Inka. c. 1450-1540 C.E. Granite (architectural complex) Form: -Ruins of an Inca city Located near the Inca capital (Cusco) -Composed of houses & terraces built by fitting individually carved stones together -Provide land for agriculture Context: -Originally used as a palace for Inca emperors- Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui- mid 15th century near Inca capital of Cusco, and nearly 3,000 feet lower in elevation -Chosen because of its proximity to Adean landscape- sight lines to other mountains "apus" -These mountains symbolize the spirits of ancestors -Emperor would only live there for part of the year in a "separate compound southwest of the sight"- shows his "stand alone" royal status -People viewed the sun as divine- emperor had divine rights Content: -Main building construction = typical Inca elite architecture -Stones shaped to fit one another, not to look uniform, each stone had a protruding side & a concave side that locked them with other stones but allowed for movement during earthquakes -Buildings & layout highlight social divisions -Machu Picchu contains many religious structures -Used rituals to reinforce their relationship with the supernatural force of existence Function: -emperor was very spiritually engaged and was the spiritual leader of his people- performed rituals relating to supernatural forces at this site -The Intihuatana or a carved boulder ("hitching post of the sun")- used sun and shadows to tell the time (religious rituals were very time oriented) -Used for astronomy and studying the sky- people went to the high points of the building

Stonehenge

Form -made from bluestone, rocks are mined from a quarry hundreds of miles away -monolithic stones arranged in a circle Content -originally made of a stone laying horizontally across two vertical stones, increase in height, which "pull" a viewer visually into the interior of the structure -stay upright because they were placed in huge pits that were dug into the ground Function - used as a burial site mark of elite status -mark both the midsummer's solstice and the midwinter's sunset -could signify solar and lunar calendars, the importance of the movement of the sun/seasons to the people of the society that built Stonehenge Context -found in the Salisbury Plain in England -construction started around 3100 BCE, construction was continued intermittently for the next 500 years building the structure would require precise planning and massive amounts of labor, which speaks to a higher level of sophistication in the society -weigh from 2-4 pounds, from the quarry site 250 miles away and use some kind of machinery to get the lintel stones on top of the post stones

Jade Cong

Form: - carved jade -low reliefs -abstract designs - square with a circle inside Function: -jade usually appears in burials of high ranked people - showed power/ wealth -protect in after life / telling one what happens after death content: -low reliefs decorations on this refer to spirits/ deities Context: - Liangshzu, China in 3300-2200 BCE -jade in China is linked with virtues like beauty, durability, and subtlety -culture this cong is from developed at the Yangzi delta - had sophisticated neolithic culture

Navigation Chart

Form: - wood and fiber, cowrie shells (used to show the location of an island) Function: - horizontal and vertical sticks - curved sticks represent wave swells - used as to map out the wave swells of the Marshall Islands Content: -depicts the wave patterns surrounding the Marshall islands -sailors would memorize them and then leave them behind Context: - Marshal Islands, Micronesia - 19th-early 20th century - made for sailors

Lukasa (memory board)

Form: - wood, beads, and metal - covered in material and shaped like a turtle shell Function: -used by the Luba peoples (Mubydye people) -interpreted by a specialist in different ways - shows the different aspects of the Luba culture Content: -each is unique and shows different stories of the Luba people Context: -Democratic Republic of the Congo -Luba peoples in the 19th and 20th century

Great Serpent Mound

Form: -1300' long, 3' high follows a river east/west axis earthwork site specific Mississippian culture Content: -numerous mounds forming the shape of a serpent Function: connection to Haley's comet might have been used to mark time/seasons Context: -Adams County, Ohio 1070 CE (11th century)

maize cobs

Form: -Realism: sheet metal pressed against actual maize to get the texture (repousse) -oxidized silver (black maize) Content: -corn was revered because of its importance to the diets of the Incans Function: -show importance of corn Context: -1440-1533 CE Inka

Chavin de Huantar

Form: -U-shaped temple -sunken relief -powerful curving -stone architecture -hammered gold alloy -granite sculpture Content: -only priest and high officials could see the Lanzon (human/jaguar) Lanzon statue: -enormous, shape of agricultural tool, dark tunnels lead to the illuminated statue -nose ornament: status symbol, serpent shape relief: jaguar Function: -ceremonial center for the Chavin people Context: -Northern Highlands, Peru Chavin People -900-200 BCE Center of Chavin culture

Transformation Mask

Form: -animal and human share -symmetrical Content: -pull string causing mask to open up -bird=crow Function: -used in Potlatch -Potlatch: used to memorialized the dead, mark union of families through marriage -help tell a story, dance around Context: -Kwakiutl (N. Coast of Canada) -late 19th century CE

Nan Madol

Form: -basalt boulder -prismatic columns -headers and stacker (use of stacking) Content: -90-100 manmade structures -lagoon -"floating world" -92 artificial islands -canals running throughout site Function: -great lost city -ceremonial complex -political center -tombs, dwellings, administrative centers Context: -Pohnpei, Micronesia -Saudeleur Dynasty 700-1600 CE

Ruler's feather headdress

Form: -featherworking -gold Content: -very hard to get these feathers, they were acquired through the vast Aztec trading network Function: -unknown Context: -Axtec -1428-1520 CE -gift for Motecuhzoma II from the Viceroy of Spain -made by artist who specialized in featherwork

the ambum stone

Form: -greywacke stone Content: -sculpted to look like an anteater -human/animal characteristics (mostly animal) Function: - objects like these are believed to have supernatural power - used as a spirit stone in rituals Context: - Ambun Valley, Papua New Guinea around 1500 BCE

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

Form: -indigenous North America -geometric designs on murals -sandstone Content: -living in communities -harmonizes with landscape for functional reasons -summer sun doesn't hit the pueblos, but winter light warms it -painted murals Function: -residential places -storage places -ritual places -Kiva: communal gathering, ritual purpose for men Context: -Montezuma, County, Colorado -450-1300 CE -pueblo people, descendants are Hopi and Zuni -Anasazi tribe

Yaxchilan

Form: -limestone -built on platforms (ascent up) -3 doorways to a single room -corbelled vaulting -panel over doors -painted stucco designs -roof combs Content: -glyphs: each tell about an event, person, and when relief pictured: -Lady Xok's vision after suffering blood loss -her and husband, Shiel Jaguar III -pulling a piece of barbed rope through her tongue -vision of great warrior coming out of serpent's mouth Function: -affirms reign of Sheild Jaguar III Context: -Chipas, Mexico -725 CE

Great Hall of the Bulls

Form: -naturalistic charcoal drawings in a cave -natural materials: plants, charcoal, iron ore -twisted perspective - human are stick figures while animals are realistic looking Content: - pictures animals in motion - pictures on top of pictures (all from different artists from many time periods) -cows, bulls, horses, deer -650 paintings Function: - to show an animal ritual (very unusual to find pictures of humans/hunting) -ancestral animal worship Context: -sacred place (deep in a cave)- in situ -not a dwelling because the creators of these were nomads -Paleolithic Europe- Lascaux, France

Bandolier Bag

Form: -new art form resulting from trade for beads among Anglo-Americans -rounded forms -beadwork Content -decorations vary based on status Function: -worn primarily for decoration -show social status -worn by men and made by women Context: -Lenape Tribe (eastern Delaware) -1850 CE

Bushel with ibex motifs

Form: -painted terra cotta, clay - geometric forms - set in registers, controlled and repeated planar composition Function: -funerary object Content: -dog figures, mountain goat, cranes Context: - Susa, Iran in 4200-3500 BCE -neolithic -new technology: use of potter's wheel

City of Cusco

Form: -plan in shape of a cat and at the head is a fortress -intricate stone work -trapezoid shapes -andesite Content: -city is divided by social class -massive stone walls without using mortar -foundation of city is all that is left today -Qorikancha (central temple dedicated to the Sun God, Inti) walls covered in gold to show the shrines' significance -Saqsa Wayman: forstress that looks down on the city, zig-zagging walls, stones were quarried and hauled with incredible manpower Function: -capital of Incan empire Context: -Central Highlands, Peru Inka empire -Commissioned by Pachacuti 1440 CE

Anthropomorphic Stele

Form: -sandstone Content: - 3 of them all 3ft tall -belted robe with knife hanging from it Function: - used in incense trade -religious/burial practices Context: -found on trade routes in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia -fourth millennium -work was formed in pre-islamic Northern Saudi Arabia, Ha'il

Apollo 11 Stones

Form: -stones with charcoal drawings of animals -geometric designs - 4-5" -broken into 2 parts Function: - depict animals =some of world's oldest works of art Content: - animal figures with human legs added on probably later Context: - found in Apollo 11 caves in Namibia -probably were made about 25500 BCE (oldest representational art in Africa) and buried in these caves -named because it was discovered at the time of the Apollo 11 moon landing

Terra Cotta Fragment

Form: -terra cotta with dentate stamping Content: -clear anthropomorphic figures in a central location - geometric, large, clear features -nose serves as a line of symmetry in the piece, common characteristic of other Lapita pottery - the human face has linear designs, opposed to the designs rippling from it which are circular and radial -consistency in Lapita design reflects the stability and development of their culture Function: -fragments are from a pot that would have been used by the Lapita people for culinary purposes -possibly food storage (used like a jar) or even actual cooking (used like a pot) -a "wagelie" was the name for a food storing vessel -pottery was a large part of Lapita culture, it was very widespread and even had cultural significance -could have been a form of reverence for ancestors, ritualistic/religious use -different groups had specific characteristics in their pottery, different family groups,social classes, and economic classes -exchanged within these groups Context: - Lapita peoples - Solomon Islands, Reef Islands in 1000 BCE

Malagan display and mask

Form: -wood, pigment, shell, fiber -anthropomorphic mask Content: -masks uniquely decorated for a deceased and worn by dancers in ceremonies celebrating the dead Function: -used in rituals that took place in Papua for the deceased people of their clans -displayed in village for temporarily -shows family importance Context: -New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea -20th century

All T-oqapu Tunic

Form: Tunic: A woven rectangle piece of cloth folded to be a square, with a slit woven into the middle for the neck, decorated with square geometric motifs that make up the entirety of the tunic, found in upper class tunics. Content: -Individual t'oqapu designs are believed to represent various peoples/ethnicities, places, and social roles within the Inka empire. Context: -created during the height of Andean textile fabrication -showed Inka's value of power -Each geometric square displays a unique motif that combines together to make up the whole tunic. -symbol of royalty, only those of high status were allowed to wear it Function -Tunics like these served as power symbols in the Incan culture with the square representing an accomplishment or history of an individual, showed status Believed the cloth had spirit (camuc) -used for maps, quipu - royal gifts -offered in burials

Female deity

Form: -15" high -Breadfruit (wood) -Minimalistic/simple form -Oval head -Smooth surface, flattened buttox, long torso -Undefined hands and feet Content: -Male and female gods -Facial features hinted or nonexistent -Horizontal lines that indicate knee caps, navel, waistline Function: -Most likely part of ritual ceremonies honoring gods for harvest and fertility of land, sea, and people -Collected by missionaries -Some placed in central temple Presented with food and flowers Context: -Nukuoro, Micronesia 18th-19th century -Many kept in religious buildings that belonged to the community

Tamati Waka Nene

Form: -19th century European academic style of painting Content: -Portrait of Tamati Waka Nene (Maori chief/warrior) 0Kiwi feather cloak, green stone earring -Moko: facial tattoos Function: -Record likenesses and bring ancestral presence into the world of the living not just a representation of Tamati but an "embodiment" of him -After a person has died, portrait may be hung on walls of family homes or in community center -Nene represents the time of change that was occurring in the Maori world Context: -Artist: Gottfried Lindaur -1890 CE

Black-on-black ceramic vessel

Form: -Blackware ceramic -Coil, not wheel -Contrast of matte black and shiny, polished black finishes -Symmetrical (walls evenly thick) -Surfaces free from imperfections Function: -Food container Content: -Revival of ancient Pueblo pottery and designs -Orgins from 1000 year old tradition in the Southwest Context: -Maria and Julian Martinez, New Mexico mid-20th century -Maria made the pots, Julian painted the pots

Buk (mask)

Form: -Turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell -Seashell eyes inlaid -Raffia for hair -Discs on wings amplify the sense of a bird in flight (dynamic -Lattice work around the face Content: -Masks representing human forms, and some depict birds, fish, or reptiles, or both -Perhaps a faith hero or ancestor -Bird as a totem? (connected to the person or family) Function: -Male initiation ceremonies -Funerals -Used with grass costumes in ceremonies about death, fertility, or male initiation Context: -Torres strait (between Australia and New Guinea) Mid-late 19th century CE

the running horned women

Form: rock painting the "paint" was likely applied with feathers, weeds, and finger Function: Depicts a religious ceremony? piece used to emphasize the importance of survival a recognition of the relationship between animals and humans Content: More than 15,000 drawing and engravings found at the site; At one time the area was grasslands, now a desert; some drawings are naturalistic, some abstract, some Negroid features; some Caucasian features; depicts livestock, wildlife, and humans; Composite view of the body; dots may reflect body paint applied for ritual; entire site was probably painted by many different groups over time Context: 6,000-4,000 BC Tassili n'Ajjer Period/Culture: Neolithic

Hide Painting of Sun Dance

Form: painted Elk Hide Function: Worn as robe over the shoulders of the warrior (celebrated warrior's deed) (conveyed biographical details; personal accomplishments; heroism; battles Content: Men painted hides to narrate an event; eventually painted hides for European and American markets; Depicted traditional aspects of the Plains people that were nostalgic rather than practical (Bison hunt with bow and arrow- nomadic hunting gone, bison nearly extinct); Bison considered to be gifts of the Creator; Horses liberated the plains people c. 1750; Sun Dance conducted around a Bison Head (outlawed by US government); Men dance, sing, prepare the feast, drum, and construct a lodge; Teepee: made of hide stretched over poles; exterior poles reach the spirit world or sky; fire represents the heart; doorway faces east to face a new day Context: c.1890-1900 Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody) Period/Culture: Eastern Shosone

'Ahu 'ula (feather cape)

Hawaiian. Late 18th century C.E. Feathers and fiber Form: -Made with feathers and olona fiber -Feathers were attached to the netting in overlapping rows - red feathers from the 'i'iwi bird, black and yellow feathers from the 'o'o bird -Dimensions: 64 x 15 1/2 in. (162.6 x 39.4 cm) -Coconut fiber used as a base Function: -Male nobility wore feather cloaks and capes for ceremonies and battle (they were called 'ahu'ula aka red garments) -Only high-ranking chiefs or warriors of great ability were entitled to wear these exceptional garments -Neckline - curved shape to best fit the wearer -The cloaks and capes were given as gifts to sea captains and their crews -created by artist who chanted the wearer's ancestors to imbue their power on it -Protected the wearer from harm Content: -A feather cloak - yellow and red -Red = associated with gods and chiefs across Polynesia -Yellow = valuable because of their scarcity in the Hawaiian Islands -Semi-circular cape is a later development from the trapezoidal shape -Feather cloaks and capes were symbols of power and social standing in Hawaiian culture Context: -Earliest European visitors to Hawaii -It is unknown who brought this cape to England as many of the items given as gifts were passed onto wealthy patrons to get them to finance their voyage -This cape was apparently retained by Captain Cook's widow and inherited by the descendants of her cousin, Rear Admiral Isaac Smith

Hiapo (tapa)

Niue. c. 1850-1900 C.E. Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting. Form Fine lines, detailed geometric designs such as spirals, concentric circles, squares, triangles, and diminishing motifs Animated freehand drawing process may represent mana Bark cloth is an involved process, performed entirely by women Bark is pounded flat with a wooden tool (felting) bark are stuck together with a paste from plants such as arrowroot Designs are either pounded in with a carved beating tool or by rubbing over a stencil Function Tapa were used for clothing, bedding, and wall hangings Tapa would also be displayed on special occasions Still exist today as parts of funeral rituals and burial rights they could be exchanged for food and work/services Worn during rituals, exchanged in marriage or other events, used to wrap babies and sacred objects Content -Important figures and high-ranking individuals would wear these decorated cloths at important stages in their lives -Different cultures and islands would present similar pieces of cloth to places they travel to by boat Context -The cloth is from Niue, a small Polynesian island country located 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand - location next to Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook islands allowed for lots of trade with Christian missionaries in the region -seen as a women's art as it is a type of weaving and works with soft materials -In Polynesia, textiles were seen as a woman's wealth -Cross-cultural connections

moai on platform

Rapa Nui (Easter Island). 1100-1600 CE. Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base. Form: -Made from chiseled stone, basalt and are made from volcanic tuff -About 887 moai on Easter Island -Originally painted with red and white designs -Height of the statues range from 8 to 70ft (most around 13ft tall) -The majority of statues share features such as: Heavy eyebrow ridge, Elongated ears, Oval nostrils, Emphasized clavicle, Thin arms that lie against the body, thin lips in a downward curve - stern expression Function: -The Moai represent the human spirit -Used to honor and represent the ancestors of the people. -The sculpture was probably made by a high status individual with a significant skill in carving Content: -Carvings on the back of some statues that are believed to have been made at a later date Context: -Easter Island is called Rapa Nui -Shown on a stone platform -As the environment of the island changed the religion also shifted which led to the end of the creation of the Moai= 1600 C.E, statues began to be torn down -When the statues were finished they were taken down to the coast by groups of tens to hundreds of people. Used ropes and levers to move them

Staff God

Rarotonga, Cook Islands, central Polynesia. Late 18th to early 19th century C.E. Wood, tapa, fiber, and feathers. FORM -Alternating figures appear to be placed along the spine, alluding to genealogical continuity & Tangaroa's children -Represent male & female roles in reproduction -Reference to Tangaroa as a god of fertility: Barkcloth wrapping -Polynesians would have believed that the cloth was needed to protect deity's spiritual force -This force, MANA, is contained within the layers -If wrapping comes off, deity would leave, and the staff god would be useless -Provides deity with clothing -Phallus at the bottom stands for sexual reproduction FUNCTION -Meant to be a symbol of "manava" or the soul of god -believe that the staff is used to worship Tangaroa (creator of God) -Protects ancestral power of "mana" or deity of the society CONTENT -12 feet long, Includes Tangaroa's head, spine, & body - body topped by carved head -head makes up about ⅓ of wood carving -Stylized large eyes, Pointed chin, Close mouth, line of smaller figures were carved just below the head -Alternate between male and female -Clothing & protection CONTEXT -Late 18th century-early 19th century CE -Wooden and humanistic head is at the top and at the end is a naturalistic phallus -Missionaries often began to cut off the natural phallus because they felt it was indecent -Both women and men are present on the wooden head of the staff- women are in childbirth -importance of fertility -The only surviving and wrapped example of a staff god of the Cook Islands -Christian missionaries convinced the Rarotongan people to embrace Christianity and abandon their own faith- due to this much of art historians' knowledge about traditions and religious beliefs original to the island "are irrevocably lost"

Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe

Southeastern Zimbabwe, Shona peoples. c. 1000-1400 C.E. Coursed granite blocks Form: -Coursed granite blocks, no mortar held the blocks together -820 ft long,over 32 feet high in some areas -The tower is 30 ft tall and 18 ft in diameter Function: -The wall separated the commoners from the royal families -The great circular wall was to demonstrate power and protect the houses and the commercial market that it encased. -A Shona ruler showed their power and wealth by the amount of grain they had. -also allowed people to have panoramic views of the country to scope out enemies coming. Content: -Many discoveries of trade goods from as far as southeast Asia have been discovered at the site. -Built around a cave that held religious importance to the Shona people -Large towers connected to the wall to provide a 360-degree view of approaching enemies -Some geometric patterns Context: -The shona are the largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe -Great Zimbabwe flourished during this time and may have had 18,000 inhabitants -the vast majority lived in mud-brick structures, while elite rulers lived safely and luxuriously inside the walled enclosure Granite blocks were quarried from nearby hills and took decades to transport -This structure took over 30 years to complete and demonstrates remarkable skill -The Conical tower also believed to be made to worship the supreme all creator god, Mwari. -Great Zimbabwe was part of a large trading network the structure showed the wealth of kings, but also the city's wealth as Great Zimbabwe as they produced about two fifth of the world's gold -Greta Zimbabwe declined in the 15th century due to lack of gold, shifts in the trade network, and exhausted soil

Templo Mayor (Main Temple)

Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico). Mexica (Aztec). 1375-1520 C.E. Stone (temple); volcanic stone (The Coyolxauhqui Stone); jadeite (Olmec-style mask); basalt (Calendar Stone) Form: -Volcanic stone and covered in stucco the post classic period and Mesoamerican style -A large symmetrical building with twin staircases leading up to two identical temple towers -Was a focal point of the society and taller than all the other buildings Content: -Main temple of the Mexica people -Design is inspired by Mexica mythology -Either side of the temple was dedicated to and represented the two primary gods, Wooden statues of the two gods were inside of the two temples -God of war and sun on one half -Included sacrificial stone and standard bearer figures and serpants This side of the temple represents snake mountain or Coatepec -South side of the temple Painted red → symbolic of the dry season during the winter solstice -God of rain/agriculture on the other half This side of temple symbolized the mountain of sustenance, which produced rain and allowed crops to grow -North side of the temple Painted with blue stripes → symbolic of the wet season during the summer solstice Function: -A place of worship for their gods, Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli -Rituals, ceremonies and reenactment of their myths -Honored Huitzilopochtli's triumph over Coyolxauhqui Gifts were offered to Huitzilopochtli -Reenact the myths associated with Coatepec Context: -Aztec empire was from 1345 - 1521 CE Tenochtitlan, Mexico (present day mexico city) -Sacred precinct and center of former mexica empire -When the Coyolxauhqui stone was found, the site of Templo Mayor was also rediscovered -Thousands of ritual objects have been recovered related to the temple -Included objects from other cultural traditions showing the Mexica awareness, value, and appreciation of past culture, such as the Olmec mask The aztec Invasion of neighboring territories to spread Aztec ideas and religion Constant threat of military intervention maintained the order

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine

Tequixquiac, central Mexico. 14,000-7000 B.C.E. Bone. Form: made from remains of the sacrum—the triangular pelvic bone—of a camelid Function: Intended function and original meaning unknown prehistoric artisans did whatever they saw in their everyday life study and depiction of animals was common in prehistoric art Content: head of a canine natural shape of sacrum bone probably suggested image of canine nostrils, mouth, other details added by carver Context: -it was, for a time, questioned whether this sculpture was actually ---made by human hands, or if its likeness to a canine head was just its natural shape - carved by a human proven by symmetrical, precisely cut nostrils -spiritual significance of the sacrum viewed the sacrum as spiritual and sacred, it can be inferred that this sacrum was chosen for similar spiritual reasons sacrum could be symbol of fertility, or connection to ancestry and posterity

Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II

form: -black and white photograph with women carrying mats function: -celebration honoring queen Elizabeth II visit content: -Tapa mats are made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree -women beat them together to form long plain sheets - designs are painted onto the cloth by hand - cloth, sheets, capes, cites, gifts to important people Context: -December 17, 1953 the queen visited the Kingdom of Tonga Queen Elizabeth witnessed many Fijian traditions -gave her a tapa mat to honor her