Wyatt Heffron - Cultural Expression Over Time - The Maya people and other Mesoamerican civilizations.

Introduction: What is Sculpting?

1000 BCE

The Cultural expression I chose is called Sculpting and uses a variety of tools, as well as materials to create an object or image through carving, casting, or any other shaping techniques. The range in materials used to sculpt is vast, with stone being the most used in the B.C. era, due to its durability compared to wood or Clay, and Stone, Wood, Metal, Clay, Ivory, plaster, and metals like Bronze being used in the present. Each material gives both pros and cons, which can aid in your creation.

Origins of Sculptures

999 BCE

Sculptures are thankfully one of the few art forms that was capable of staying mostly intact over the course of 10's of thousands of years, which can help us humans in the present to better understand just what those in the past thought about. It is hard to find out exactly who was the first group of people to begin their adventure into sculpting, however one of the oldest sculptures can be seen dating back to 230,000–700,000 BC.

Seated Figure Sculpture

800 BCE

The Seated Figure is a life-size baby sculpture made by the Olmec, In Mexico Mesoamerica. This Olmec-style sculpture was made in between 1200 and 400 BC, and being almost 4000 years old, is still mostly intact. The sculpture displays a child seemingly well fed, as well as being very relaxed with no worry. There were many hypothesis of what the sculptures meaning was, such as a portrait of an infant, infantilized portrait of an adult, infant form of a deity, or emblems of royal descent.

Spouted Jar/Vessel

25

The Spouted Jar is seen as one of the most elegantly sculpted stone containers still around made by the Maya. This Jar was created in between 50 B.C. - 100 A.D. and still keeps its amazing detail for so long. This Jar was known for being used to make their chocolate drink better. The vertical spout found on the side of the jar was used to blow air into, causing a bubbling effect that would produce a frothy spume on the surface of the chocolate drink, like melted marshmallows over hot chocolate.

Censer, Seated King

350

The Seated King Sculpture is an incense burner created by the Maya people. Its dimensions are 80 × 31.1 × 22.9 cm and was created somewhere in the 4th century. The sculpture depicts a Maya ruler that is wearing a large elaborate headdress with jewelry well-organized onto it. The figure is holding ritual implements, as well as a round plaque that may be representing a mirror. The people who found the sculpture believe that it was painted, however that was lost over time.

Deity Figure

450

The Deity Figure, being the size of a hand was made of Jade, a type of stone that is green. It was made back in between the 3rd - 6th century, and has kept in rather good shape. the figure is depicted with its legs crossed and with its arms bent towards its chest with its hands curled, known as the "crab-claw" by the Maya Scholars. The body is that of a human, but the face can be seen as a great supernatural avian (bird like creature) that is known as the Principal Bird Deity.

Bull Alebrije Oaxacan Wood Carving

2020

The Bull Sculpture is made up of Alebrijes wood, which is a type of wood that is carved out to make creatures, then painted with colorful designs imagined by the artisan. The Bull can fit in the palm of your hand and is only made once, making it limited. The bull sculpture was made late 2020. This creation was made by someone with Mexican, as well as Indian origin. The sculpture is being sold online for $277 USD through Magia Mexica, which is a place for simular art to be sold.

Works Cited

2100

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