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11 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Venus of Willendorf
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-Culture:Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)
-Place:Willendorf, Austria • one of the earliest known human figures • not a portrait of an individual but a symbol to represent women in general and the idea of reproduction needed for survival • “fertility figure” – anatomical exaggeration • named after the place it was found, Willendorf, Austria • similar figures have been found (not a unique sculpture) |
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Hall of Bulls in the Cave of Lascaux
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-Culture:Paleolithic
-Place:Lascaux, France • discovered in 1940 by two French boys when their dog disappeared in to the underground cave • the cave had been preserved because it had been naturally sealed; once discovered and opened to visitors, moisture, carbon dioxide, and fungi began to deteriorate the images; these caves have been closed to the public since 1963 • drawings possibly made for ceremonies, magic, or worship • to ensure a good hunt (bring the beasts under control), to ensure survival of the herd (reproduction of animals), or as target practice • overlapping and changes in style suggest painting was done at different times • twisted perspective – head in profile, horns from the front |
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Stonehenge
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-Culture:Neolithic (New Stone Age)
-Place:Salisbury Plain, England • megalith – large monumental architectural forms made of stone • cromlech – circular arrangement of stones • circular arrangement of stones that seems to be an accurate astronomical calendar – entire structure is oriented toward the exact point where the sun rises in the East at the summer solstice (the longest day of the year); shows an awareness of the calendar and changes in the sun’s position as seasons change • post and lintel – most basic form of architecture -- two vertical posts that support a horizontal beam (used until the Romans developed the arch) • probably used for religious purpose such as a sun worshipping ritual |
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Fowling Scene
(from the tomb of Nebanum) |
-Culture:Egypt
-Place:Thebes, Egypt • rigid formula for representing the human figure: head, arms, and legs are shown in profile; eye and shoulders face front (not portraits of individuals until later) • wall paintings in tombs depict life and daily activities – to have access to all these earthly things in the afterlife • hieroglyphics – Egyptian writing – beneath left arm say Nebanum is enjoying recreation in his eternal afterlife • Nebanum – deceased nobleman, whose official titles were “scribe and counter of grain” – with wife and daughter on a hunt • depicted size of people indicated importance/rank • fresco secco (dry fresco) – painting on dry plaster (different from the painting of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, which were painted on wet plaster making the color fuse with the wall) |
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The Dying Lioness
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-Culture:Mesopotamia (Assyrian)
-Place:Ninevah, Iraq • bas-relief sculpture – figures carved into a surface/background of which they are a part (not “in-the-round”); bas means “low” • carved in the outside of the palace wall as a warning to enemies/intruders – used to instill fear and protect the palace • strong defensive walls around the palace/city reflect a society ever fearful of attack during a period of almost constant warfare • suggest the king’s power as conquering the greatest beast in the animal kingdom |
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Lamassu
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-Culture:Assyrian Mesopotamia
-Place:Assyria, Iraq • Symbols combining man, bull, and bird • Placed as guardians at certain gates or doorways of the city and the palace to offer protection against enemies • Combination of high relief and sculpture in the round |
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Kachina Doll
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-Culture:Hopi Indians
-Place:Arizona, North America • represent supernatural beings who travel between Earth and Heaven • At religious ceremonies, dancers place Kachina masks upon their heads; they lose their personal identity to receive the Kachina spirit. During the rituals, the spirits accept prayers from the people and carry them to the creator. • Carved dolls represent the large variety of Kachina spirits made from cottonwood roots – about 350 Kachina types have been identified. (They are thought to bring rain and snow, which are vital to the lives of these agricultural people.) • The dolls are given to children not as toys but as objects to be treasured and studied for religious training. • They are hung on the wall or from the ceiling and are a part of everyday Hopi life. • Old Kachinas are simple and geometric in form with little or no movement. Modern Kachinas have become more naturalistic and detailed. • Today, many are made for sale to non-Indians. |
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Nkisi Nkondi
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-Culture:Kongo People
-Place:Zaire, Africa • made of wood, metal, raffia, pigment, cowrie shells, and other adornments • An nganga (spiritual leader) empowered the figure with nails (representing each encounter) and bilongo (special medicine bundle to give the figure sacred healing and judging power). • made to protect people from evil spirits, make a contract or punish a wrong doer, person may request fertility, good health, or prosperity • the more nails, the more “contracts,” the more revered the figure was • The use of the figures provided a system of justice – they healed and protected the innocent, punished or killed the guilty, and wrought revenge on those who broke their oaths. |
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Akuaba Figure
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-Culture:Akan Culture
-Place:Ghana, Africa • Fertility figure (to overcome barrenness), to protect against deformity/ugliness of the child during pregnancy, prayers for a child, or memorials to a child -- carried against woman’s back like a child or kept as memories of a loved one • Named after the legend of a woman named Akua who was barren but cared for a wooden figure as a child and eventually had a daughter • Typical shape of long cylindrical torso with horizontal arms and a flat, disk-like head (ideal of Akan beauty) • Matrilineal society |
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Articulated Figure
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-Culture:Mesoamerican/Pre-Columbian
-Place:Veracruz, Mexico • one of hundreds of “Smiling Figures” found in Veracruz – naked body of a baby/child but the teeth of an adult • their function is debated – possibly represented sacrificial victims • arms and legs are articulated – moveable joints – they are attached with string so they actually move • Since there are so many of these figures, they were probably made by a group of apprentices who worked under a master artisan. They could produce a vast quantity in the same style. • The artisans had figured out how to deal with two problems with clay: shrinking and warping were solved by adding sand to the class, and exploding and breaking during firing were solved by making figures hollow with holes drilled in the figures to prevent the buildup of steam. |
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Bark Painting
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-Culture:Aborignes
-Place:Australia • painted on the stripped bark of eucalyptus trees • traditionally used four colors made from natural materials (red, yellow, white, and black) • often had very graphic patterns – dots or stripes • animals sometimes had x-ray style • images represented natural places and could sometimes be read like maps • the Aborigine “religion” called Dreamtime was very closely tied to nature; they believed their ancestors’ spirits inhabited elements of nature |
