Art History of Northern America

In the northern part of North

America there is little record of

ancient art partly because the

materials that were used like wood,

grasses, and animal parts easily rot

exposed to the wet weather.

Chilkat Blanket, 1928,

mountain goat wool, cedar

bark and deer hide.

Modern day western Canada, Alaska, Washington state, and Oregon.

The original nations are called Inuit, Chilkat, Tlingit, Haida, and Kwakwaka’wakw.

They lived in large groups in huge one room homes and claim descent from animal

ancestors whose spirit or totem give them their family name. Images are made of 2

elements: ovoid (rectangle with rounded corners) and form line (continuous swelling

black lines that define shapes)

Raven-

Beaver

Totem

Pole

Pacific Northwest

Northeast America

East Coast & Plains

Indians are well-

known for

embroidering with

colored porcupine

quills before

Europeans

introduced glass

beads.

Pottery from

Southern “New

England” 450-

350 BCE.

Pottery has been

made in the

region since

2700 BCE

Harraseeket

Fishing

Basket

(creel).

Typical for

fly fishing.

Basket made

by the

Penobscott

using an

unusual style

of curling

wood

shavings

Modern day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico

Some of the original nations are the Chumash, Miwak, Yahi, Tewa, Pueblo,

Navajo/Dineh, Apache, Anasazi, Zuni, Gaberdino, and Shoshone

This part of the world is especially well known for its clay and basket arts.

Chumash painted cave under

1,000 years old, used for

coming of manhood rituals

Anasazi, adobe

(clay) Kiva

(underground

sauna) cave 550

AD, buildings are

lined-up with

important points

in the heavens.

Mats would be

hung in the door

ways.

Pueblo Indian

clay pot

Arapaho moccasins,

1880 beads & leather

Zuni,

Butterfly

Pins

Navajo Wool

Blankets, 1840s

Southwest America

Midwest & Southeast Some of the original nations are the: Sioux/Lacota, Chippewa, Mississippians,

Potawatomi, Mille Lacs, Alabama-Quassarte, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Shawnee,

Ottawa, Peoria, Seminole, Modoc, Seneca, Miami, and Nez Perce

Envelope,

1880,

rawhide and

pigment

“Big Boy” Stone Pipe,

from Spiro Mound,

Mississippian Culture

in Oklahoma

Bird Mound, 2nd century

BC, Iowa, in the shape of

animals. Europeans didn’t

know they were there until

the airplane was invented

in the 1900’s. The shape of

mounds can only be seen

from the sky. Some are as

long as 405 miles and 1

mile high.

Deer Mask;

Oklahoma, Craig

Mound 1200-

1400AD

wood & shell,

11”x6”

Ancient Art of Southern North

America & Central America MESO-AMERICA

Natural barriers hindered easy cultural exchange between Northern

North America and Southern North America, the Mojave and Sonora

Deserts to the West and the Rio Grade River to the East.

THE MAYA The Classic Mayan Period is when most of their large artifacts were built, 250-900

A.D./CE. They had advanced mathematics, astronomy and architecture. Mayan pyramids

were built water tight with no mortar. Mayan beliefs can be read about in the Popal Vuh.

The Maya still exist. They abandoned their cities because of draught which braught war.

Tikal Pyramids, 900 AD

in modern Guatemala,

was covered with painted

reliefs (partial sculpture).

Nobility & priests used

temples for ceremonies

with the public watching

from the Great Plaza. This

city held 150,000 people.

Copan Stelae 700

AD, 9’ in modern

Honduras, 13th

ruler Waxaklahun

Ubah K'awil

known as 18

Rabbit

Chichen Itza, pyramids

with Platform of Skulls, &

Chacmool 435-800 AD,

180 feet high. Dedicated to

Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan

the feathered serpent god.

At each equinox, sun and

shadow create a serpent

going down the steps.

Palenque 600

AD, in modern

Chiapas Mexico

with the rain god

Chac

THE OLMECS, ZAPOTECA, TOLTECS, & MIXTECS

Monte Alban, Zapotec

capital from 500 BC

to 800AD, today

Oaxaca ,Mexico

The Mixtec followed the Zapotec, 1000-1400 AD using Monte

Alban and Mitla. They were master jewelers. The quartz crystal

cup is very rare because it is one of the hardest materials to cut.

Olmec Stone Heads, 10 tons, 8-12’, 1500BC-300BC,

Mexico to El Salvador.

Toltec civilization came after Mayan, 10th-12th century AD the

capitol was Tula 80km North of Mexico City today

The Aztec Solar Calendar, 25 tons,11”. Believed invented by the God Quetzalcoatl set out

mathematical formulas the universe is organized on, governing actions of men and Gods.

There are 2 counts of days & 2 counts of destiny. It was consulted through priests to do

anything: farming, war, commerce... It has astronomical data: moon & Venus phases,

Mercury & Mars years and sun eras, ours, the 5th ends in earthquakes.

The Aztecs dominated Central Mexico from the 1300-1600 AD, Tenochtitlán was the island

capitol in what is now Mexico City, the main temple is the Pyramid of the Sun the road

leading to it is the Avenue of the Dead.

THE AZTECS

Ancient Art of South America

South America

Snuff (gound

tobacco) Tray,

4th–10th

century

AD Peru or

Chile; Wood;

H. 5”

Mineral Lime

Container,

hammered yellow gold, 1st–7th century

AD

Colombia/Ecuado

r

White Gold funerary

mask AD 600-1100

Colombia

Shrunken Human

Head/Tsantsa,

Amazon

Ecuador, Shuar

People, trophies

of war

PERU

Feather Cape

North Coast, 1460-

1528 A,D.

Machu Picchu, Pre Incan sacred city used by the Inca in the Andes

mountains. In 1563, abandoned when the Spaniards invaded.

Ear Discs, Central

Andes, A.D. 1000 -

1470. Gold, copper &

silver, 3x4 ”

Review Tell me one thing about the art and culture from each region of the ancient art of the United States (Southwest, Midwest, Northwest, and Southeast).