The Americas- Part 2

 Olmec Art


https://collectionapi.metmuseum.org/api/collection/v1/iiif/313327/682955/main-image

    The Olmec refers to the civilization that settled in Mesoamerica between 400 and 1200 B.C. "Olmec" is an Aztec word for the region, Olman, which means a place of rubber. People in the river valleys of Olmen all shared the same goals; they wished to invest in major buildings, engineering structures, and large gathering spaces that provided needs for daily life. Olmec art consisted of structures made of volcanic stone and pieces made of jade. Olmec artists developed the foundation of art in Mesoamerica. 

    The picture above depicts a seated, life-sized baby, which is a popular piece created by the Olmecs. The baby is placed in a common infant pose: chubby hands in his mouth. Aside from a baby, this piece can also be interpreted as a portrait of an adult, or an infant form of a deity. I think that this piece is an infant form of a deity because I don't understand the purpose of creating sculptures of human babies. Additionally, these piece kind of resembles a sculpture of Buddha, which is the spiritual leader of Buddhism.

https://collectionapi.metmuseum.org/api/collection/v1/iiif/316302/652249/main-image

    Above is a vessel of white clay that was created by Potters at San Lorenzo. Another word for these globular pieces are "Tecomates". These bowls are shaped by hand with coils, and the surface is finished by burnishing. You would find one of these vessels in a Mesoamerican household used as a way of storage. Tecomates expresses elevated social status of their owners because they are much more rich than other ways of storage. These tecomates remind me of modern-day pottery. It would not be unusual to spot a bowl like the one above in a household or a store, today.
    The Olmec were known to be the creators of sculptures made from volcanic stone and jade. Their creations were a foundation which allowed following civilizations to inherit and adjust their artistic ideologies. In fact, the Olmec legacy is observed in later Isthmian cultures, which sculpted greenstone figures onto benches. Additionally, large stone sculptures were popular in Mesoamerica until the European arrived in the 16th century.

 References

“Olmec Art,” 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/olmc/hd_olmc.htm.



Comments

  1. Justin DwinellNovember 18, 2020 at 11:29 AM

    Hello Amanda,

    You did a great job at starting off your post. It was extremely helpful in how you described the Olmec civilization. It truly helped me understand what this civilization valued in terms of technology and in art. I also liked how you brought in some of your own personal views and thoughts onto the post. I also enjoyed reading about your second picture of the Tecomates. You said they were used for storage, do you believe they made bigger ones and more square for storage as well?

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  2. Audrey DeStefanoDecember 13, 2020 at 7:54 PM

    This post was quite informative. I really appreciate the theories about the uses of the Tecomates, as I hadn’t thought of those before.

    ReplyDelete

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