Mexican Art Case Study
1. Where is the piece of art currently housed/exhibited today?
Temple of the museum that is now in Mexico City of the Aztecs.
2. Describe 3 key aspects of the artistic piece you chose. What makes it unique? What are some of its key elements, styles, depictions? What is it made out of?
It is a small green sculpture of a human face made out of a green stone. It portrays what someone from the Olmec time would look like.
3. Explain how it relates to Latin American history. Is it indigenous? Who painted it, carved it, crafted it? Is it colonial? How was it discovered?
Found buried in the Sacred precinct, it was much older than the Aztecs. This mask belonged to the Olmecs between 1200 and 400 BCE. The Aztecs had a burial ritual for these …show more content…
Upturned lips and almond eyes were common features and are shown in the piece. It is also interesting because it shows the Aztecs are learning about history of their time. It did not go into detail of why the Olmecs created them or why the Aztecs had a ritual for burying them.
5. What do you find most moving or impressive about the piece?
It was interesting to know that the Aztecs had history before them. I will assume that the Aztecs tried to piece it together somehow and used the pieces that they found as a ritual for their gods.
6. What insights or new knowledge did you gain from examining this artistic piece?
I learned how the Aztecs likely thought about their own culture and how it came. The Aztecs believed that they lived during the Fifth Era which is when the “Sun” was born. The Aztecs were able to see and “examine” cities that were there much before them. It was also fascinating to hear that they used temples as a sort of guide, for when their gods were born. These stone faces were also found across all of Mesoamerica. So, the Olmec went to great lengths across and the Aztecs buried them across long distances as …show more content…
Paper ornaments and beaded necklaces and cotton tassels. Costumes were very important to the Aztec culture.
5. What do you find most moving or impressive about the piece?
What was shown in the video was a replica, however it was still amazing and beautiful, much like the traditional headdresses actually used by the Aztecs. It was astronomical that they used these tail feathers as well, because the birds only have 2 or 3 tail feathers. The headdresses were made of 450 feathers! The headdress is over-the-top in a sense that the Aztecs stopped at nothing to make a beautiful piece for looks.
6. What insights or new knowledge did you gain from examining this artistic piece?
Mentioned in the video was the bird tail feathers used for the headdresses made. The tail feathers come from a bird near and around Costa Rica. That shows the long-distance trade that the Aztecs had and also, how far they conquered some cities because the feathers were used as a tribute to the Aztec Empire.
Third Viewing: Tlatilco Figurines
1. Where is the piece of art currently housed/exhibited today?
The pieces are mainly in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico
Temple of the museum that is now in Mexico City of the Aztecs.
2. Describe 3 key aspects of the artistic piece you chose. What makes it unique? What are some of its key elements, styles, depictions? What is it made out of?
It is a small green sculpture of a human face made out of a green stone. It portrays what someone from the Olmec time would look like.
3. Explain how it relates to Latin American history. Is it indigenous? Who painted it, carved it, crafted it? Is it colonial? How was it discovered?
Found buried in the Sacred precinct, it was much older than the Aztecs. This mask belonged to the Olmecs between 1200 and 400 BCE. The Aztecs had a burial ritual for these …show more content…
Upturned lips and almond eyes were common features and are shown in the piece. It is also interesting because it shows the Aztecs are learning about history of their time. It did not go into detail of why the Olmecs created them or why the Aztecs had a ritual for burying them.
5. What do you find most moving or impressive about the piece?
It was interesting to know that the Aztecs had history before them. I will assume that the Aztecs tried to piece it together somehow and used the pieces that they found as a ritual for their gods.
6. What insights or new knowledge did you gain from examining this artistic piece?
I learned how the Aztecs likely thought about their own culture and how it came. The Aztecs believed that they lived during the Fifth Era which is when the “Sun” was born. The Aztecs were able to see and “examine” cities that were there much before them. It was also fascinating to hear that they used temples as a sort of guide, for when their gods were born. These stone faces were also found across all of Mesoamerica. So, the Olmec went to great lengths across and the Aztecs buried them across long distances as …show more content…
Paper ornaments and beaded necklaces and cotton tassels. Costumes were very important to the Aztec culture.
5. What do you find most moving or impressive about the piece?
What was shown in the video was a replica, however it was still amazing and beautiful, much like the traditional headdresses actually used by the Aztecs. It was astronomical that they used these tail feathers as well, because the birds only have 2 or 3 tail feathers. The headdresses were made of 450 feathers! The headdress is over-the-top in a sense that the Aztecs stopped at nothing to make a beautiful piece for looks.
6. What insights or new knowledge did you gain from examining this artistic piece?
Mentioned in the video was the bird tail feathers used for the headdresses made. The tail feathers come from a bird near and around Costa Rica. That shows the long-distance trade that the Aztecs had and also, how far they conquered some cities because the feathers were used as a tribute to the Aztec Empire.
Third Viewing: Tlatilco Figurines
1. Where is the piece of art currently housed/exhibited today?
The pieces are mainly in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico