Emma Goldman : September 2013

1 This incredible section of bas-relief sculpture is a hallmark of Khmer art. In this scene we can see a massive calvary procession of elephants and chariots, an awesome display of military force. As opposed to the empires in the west which only used horses in battle, the armies of southern and south east Asia used hordes of elephants in warfare.

2 Illustrated in this bas-relief with is the Hindu god Indra . Here he is riding hid three headed elephant mont , together they are traversing an oceanic expanse.

3 This Khmer statue represents a Buddhists figure called the

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The Buddhist embodiment of infinite light, but the style the figure is seated is characteristic of Hindu monarchs. This sculpture illiterates the cultural flowering produced by the marriage of Hinduism with the newly arrived Buddhists faith with in the Khmer empire. Although both faiths originated from India and later spread to indo- china through commerce and missionary activities.

4 This snapshot of a dance performance by tractional Khmer dancers represents the empires enduring cultural legacy in all of the arts. Performances like these were customary in the royal court, and in return the royal court would sponsor dancers.

5 This photo of Angkor Wat dazzling in the light of the morning sun is truly memorizing. Imagine the overwhelming emotion and spiritual a

6 Angkor Wat , is the single largest religious complex on the planet. It was forgotten for centuries , left to decay in the jungle and became nearly swallowed up by it. Thankfully though it has been restored and cared for over recent decades to its former glory.

7 This gilded bronze statue represents the Hindu god Shiva; the god of destruction. Hinduism was not native to indo china, it originated thousands of years ago in northern India. Over the centuries this faith was gradually transmitted to east by a complex processes of migration, invasion, and commerce. Hinduism became established in south east Asia by around 500 A. D. And gained many adherents with in ancient indo china. By the time the Khmer Empire emerged in the 8th century A.D. Hinduism was the primary faith of the region. The Khmer Empire quickly adopted the faith as there own and sponsored and supported in through there domain.

8 This relatively small temple is only one of the numerous ounces that occupied the fast complex of Angkor Wat. The entire structure was meant to recreate Hindu spiritual cosmology in physical stone and brick. So that worshiper a could commune with the very essence of the universe while remaining on the earthly plan of existence.

9These beautiful sculpted faces from Angkor Wat are hallmarks of Khmer style. Khmer artists painstakingly constructed sites, were a massive volume of staked stone was arranged. This stone matrix was then carefully carved away to produce the stunningly realistic faces, that embody Hindu deities.

10 This sculpture depicts the serpent king Muchilinda protecting the Buddha Shakyamuni from heavy rains. This sculpture dates from the later part of the Khmer Empire where Buddhism had largely replaced Hinduism as the major faith practiced thought the Empire. This conversion was slow and peaceful and was accomplished mainly through missionaries from India.

spiration a worshiper would have experienced as the stepped closer to this monumental structure.

Khmer artifacts photos 1-10

The Splender of Khmer

The Khmer people were one of the most advanced and ingenious civilizations to come out of south east Asia. They prospered from the 9nth to the 14th century in an empire that encompassed all of modern day Cambodia, and parts of Thailand, Laos , and Vietnam. Politically the Khmer were ruled by a series of dynastic absolute monarchies , who presided over the large population base of rice farming and fishing peasants. Many Khmer adopted Hinduism as a faith , due to its proximity and economic connections with India. Khmer rulers sponsored the creation of numerous Hindu and later Buddhist temple complex , the largest and most famous of these being Angkor Wat.

Roman artifacts 1-10 citations

Roman artifacts

Artifacts 1 2

http://www.romanobritain.org/1-arc/arc_roman_mosaics.htm#.UjwxW8u9KK0

Artifact 3

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Oldest-Modernist-Paintings.html?device=ipad

Artifact 4

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=410332&partId=1&searchText=Warren%20cup

Artifact 5

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/w/wall_painting_of_ulysses_and_t.aspx

Artifact 6

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/14.130.1

Artifact 7

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2003.407.9

artifact 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trevi_Fountain,_Rome,_Italy_2_-_May_2007.jpg

artifact 9

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman_glass.htm

Artifact 10

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman%20gold%20jewelry.htm

Roman 1-10 captions

1 This mosaic was found with in a large roman villa, the residence of an upperclass roman. The mosaic depicts a dynamic and violent showdown between two gladiators. The extreme wealth and prosperity of the Roman Empire made it possible for a thriving entertainment market to develop. The violent and often inhuman gladiator practice was wide spread thought the roman world, and made for a griping experience as spectators watched as two men fought to the death.

2 This mosaic covered the floor of a large roman villa. It depicts the slain head of the mythical gorgon Medusa , a figure in fact from Greek mythology. It is fascinating to comprehend that while Greeks were politically submissive under roman rule , there religion, art, philosophy, and culture was flourished with its adoption by the Romans. Many of the Greek gods were worshiped by the Romans , only changing there names Zeus became known as Jupiter , Poseidon as Neptune , Hades as Pluto.

3 This series of painting are encaustics, a difficult processes that involves painting with liquid hot wax. These painted wood panels are quite rare , most organic objects rot and wither away with in only a few decades. Thankfully though theses painting were created in Egypt , which by now had come under the rule of the roman Empire. The Romans were never shy about practicing foreign customs such as the very ancient Egyptian practice of mummification. These panels are in fact identification tablets that would have been placed right on the finished mummy as it was prepared to be entombed. These paintings are also striking in there beautiful rendering of the human face , the richness and realism invoked was not seen agin in former lands of the roman Empire until the Italian Renaissance nearly a thousand years later.

4 This wall fresco from a home in the infamous ruined city of Pompeii is a signature example of roman aesthetics. Frescos require a very difficult process , which only the most advanced of artist can hope to master. The process begins by applying wall with a thick coating of wet plaster, then meticulously smoothing the surface , the transferring the design, and finally painting the actual image on to the wall. All this the artist much compleat with in four to six hours. This is why this process is often done in small sections at a time or the while design is minimized. This scene in particular illustrates a scene from the Odyssey, the Ancient Greek poet Homer's epic poem. This section depicts Ulysses passing by the dangerous sirens.

5 This silver challis is the infamous Warren Cup. A prized work of art in its own right , as well as an incredible example of roman metal work. The complex sculptural image was painstakingly created through endless hours of taping and hammering on the inside surface. But it is not the fine craft that makes this cup significant, it is its subject matter, its very unusual subject matter; gay sex! The artists unapologetically and rather bravely depicted sexual intercorse between two men, albeit with a peeking slave at the door ! The Romans were never shy about sex and sexuality, the luxurious Roman bath houses were notorious for there orgies. It was precisely this liberal and open attitude towards sex that the growing numbers of Christians vehemently opposed .

6 This life size bronze cast is a magnificent example of roman sculpture, an art form that they adopted from the Greeks and exploited to there technological limit. This specific work dates from some time in the early 1st. century A.D. probably represents the likeness of a relative of the empire. The attention to the anatomy of the human body and grace and elegance of the fabric is superb. This artistic tradition was greatly weakened during the thousand year dark age in Western Europe, until the artists such as the Italian Michelangelo.

7 This marble sculpture from the early imperial era, is in a very traditional style used to capture the likeness of the imperial family. What makes this specific statue significant is that fragments of paint has survived on it over the centuries. From these fragments art historians can gain insight into the color and fashion of the roman Empire. This sculpture was found to be painted in a bold purple , a color used in antiquity to signify power and royal statues. Purple was a particularly expensive color due to its difficult production process. The purple was extracted from a small vein with in a shellfish that inhabited the costs of Syria , Palestine, and parts of North Africa, gathered and processed and finely used to dye fabric. These fabrics would be purchased and transformed into stunning outfits by the Roman aristocracy and royal family. The Romans called upon there military power to conquer and secure these far off lands , there powerful ships and roads to transport the dye to the imperial heart land, and finally use there vast wealth to buy these magnificent outfits.

8 The Trevi Fountain is by far the most iconic fountain in the world, and it represents one the Romans most beautiful works born out of the marriage of art and engineering. The fountain provided clean fresh water to the citizens of Rome everyday with out interruption for years. This luxury was made possible by the massive system of aqueducts, which transported water for dozens if not hundreds of miles into roman cities.

9 This small roman vessel would have once only been used for the most extravagant parties of the roman aristocracy, because it is a hand blown glass vessel. Glass was invented in Syria around the first century A. D., and the technological process quickly spread throughout the Empire. The Romans melted down sand to produce molten glass , using hollow iron poles they would gather and rotate and blow the molten semi-liquid martial into beautiful vessels. Glass also had a huge advantage as as table wear over traditional clay pottery, glass is antibacterial. So citizens that ate and drank from glass were less prone to sickness and disease.

10 The roman Empire was by far the wealthiest and most prosperous in classical western times. The accumulated tons of precious gems and metals like gold and silver through there conquests. The roman aristocracy, which had built up enormous amounts of wealth, found creative and artistic ways to symbolize and display there wealth. One of the ways they did this was in adorning the, selfs with magnificent amounts of gold jewelry, such as the gold pendent encrusted with a clear crystal shown above.

Roman Artifacts Photos 1-10

The Greatness that was Rome

The Romans was perhaps the greatest Empire is western civilization, stretching from Scotland , to Palestine , teeming with more then 50 million inhabitants at its heights, Rome dominated the Mediterranean world. The Roman Empire started out as a measly petty city state in central Italy around 500 B.C. The Romans were originally ruled by monarchy until that system was over through an a republic was formed which lasted until 27 B.C. When a dictatorship was established, and Rome became an Empire. Over the next 200 years Rome expanded across the Mediterranean , spreading a common language, currency, law, and way of life. The Romans in turn adopted many foreign customs and practices from there subjected people. Christianity was the most significant faiths that the Romans encountered, and in its waning centuries adopted and sponsored as the empire's official religion.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Longshan artifacts citations 1-10

1. Cultural china.com

2.Cultural china.com

3. Cultural china.com

4.British National Museum

5.British National Museum

6. benedent.blogspot.com

7. benedent.blogspot.com

8. benedent.blogspot.com

9. benedent.blogspot.com

10. benedent.blogspot.com

Longshan Artifact captions 1-10

1. This beautifully crafted and incredibly sharp jade blade probably belonged to a warrior, but would not have been most likely used in battle as jade is a precious and brittle material.

2. This vessel was used to store liquids and oils for long periods of time, possibly during times of famine and drought.

3. This vessel would have been used as a personal drinking cup at elaborate dinners or rituals.

4. This fired clay vessel was used to serve and pour drinks with ease, evident it its convenient spout and tripod balancing legs.

5. This jade dragon bracelet would have been worn by elite members of society.

6. This vessel was used as a cooking pot for staples such as rice.

7. This ornamental jade dragon would have been used as both decoration and as a charm to ward off evil spirits.

8. This jade artifact was carved to resemble the Chinese symbol for 1000 years. It was probably attached to a neckless to ensure longevity.

9. This artfully decorated bronze vessel would have been used to serve drinks at banquets and ceremonies of the elite.

10. This collection of jade blades were probably owned by a wealthy aristocratic family , that obtained them for aesthetic and ritualistic purposes.

Longshan Artifacts photos 1-10

Nok artifacts citations

1. Seated Dignitary, c. 250 B.C.

Nok People, Africa, Eastern Nigeria, Nok Plateau

Fired Clay; H. 36 1/4 x W. 10 7/8 x D.14 in.

The John R. Van Derlip Fund

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

www.artsMIA.org

2. Nok Sculpture, 6th century BC–6th century AD, Nigeria, Louvre Museum

3.Terracotta head, Nok culture, Nigeria, 36 cm (14 in) high, c.500bc.

National Museum, Lagos.

4. archeology.com

5. archeology.com

6. archeology.com

7. Metropolitan Museum of Art

8. Metropolitan Museum of Art

9. Metropolitan Museum of Art

10. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Nok captions 1-10

1. This figure has been described by historians as a dignitary of the Nok people. The creation of this sculpture may steam from a esteemed dignitaries passing, so this sculpture maybe a commemorative work of art.

2. This iconic Nok sculpture is often described a " the thinker " , since his his body poster to mirrors the modern European sculpture by the same name. But this is most likely a matter of cultural biases, and the most that can be said with certainty is that the figure represents a privileged individual.

3. This clay head is only a fragment of what was once an entire human form. But even this fragment can give historians i sight on the mysteries of Nok society. The sculpture clearly displays what would have been a typical hair dress for privileged individuals.

4. The triangular eyes and parted lips of this Nok terracotta figurine are characteristic of an artistic style that endured for millennia even after the Nok culture disappeared. This one may represent a deity, an ancestor, or be a portrait.

5. At Nok sites, metal tools made around 500 B.C. have been found alongside stone tools, attesting to the manufacture of iron while stone was still being used.

6. This badly damaged sculptor fragment is particularly unrefined and unpolished, historians have inferred that is could possibly be a practice model for a larger scale work of art or the work of a young apprenticing artists.

7. This sculpture adored with many accessories may have represented a shaman or holy man in Nok society.

8. This youthful looking figure may have been a member of the elite or an apprenticing artisan.

9. This sculpture is also a fragment of what would have been a large full body work of art. The pronounced open lips suggest that the figure is implied to be speaking or singing. The sculpture maybe a singer or storyteller in there community.

10. This highly embellished figure may have been a shaman or privileged member of the elite.

Nok artifacts 1-10 post 1of 2 of Nok

Mayan citations

Works Cited

1 . Gold pendant with a miniature portrait

Maya, Late Classic/Postclassic period (AD 600-1521)

From Palenque, Mexico

British National Museum

2.Maya maize god statue

Copán, Honduras, Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-800)

British National Museum

3. Maya relief of royal blood-letting (Yaxchilan lintel 24)

Mexico, about AD 600-900

British National Museum

4. Jade portrait head inscribed with glyphs

Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-800)

From Comayagua, Honduras

British National Museum

5. The Fenton Vase

Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-800)

From Nebaj, Guatemala

British National Museum

6.Shell ornament

Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-800)

From Mexico

British National Museum

7. Jade plaque of a Maya king

Maya, Classic period (AD 600-900)

Found at Teotihuacan, Mexico

British National Museum

8.Jade pectoral

Olmec, Middle Preclassic period (1000-600 BC)

From Mexico

British National Museum

9. Stone head

Maya, Classic period (AD 250-900)

From Copán, Honduras

British National Museum

10. Yaxchilan lintel 41

Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-900)

From Yaxchilán, Mexico

British National Museum

Mayan Artifacts 1-10

1.This gold pendent represents a unknown Mayan ruler of the Post-Classical period ( c. 900-1500 A.D.), it was discovered at a site near Palenque. It is a fine example of the Mayans advanced use of metal work

2.This stone bust of a maize god displays the

mayan's artistic skill and precision in sculpting the human form. It also illiterates there interact relationship with agriculture, and corn which was the main crop that provided subsistence and nutrition for there population.

This stone relief carving scene represents a bloodletting ritual performed by the king of Yaxchilán, Shield Jaguar the Great , and his wife, Lady K'ab'al Xook.The king holds a flaming torch over his wife, who is pulling a thorny rope through her tongue. The Mayan religion placed incredible importances on the act of self inflicted suffering, an act that prolonged the very existences of the world. The mayan rulers were expected to perform these deeply sacred rituals as an act of sacrifice and appeasement to the gods.

This Maya head was carved from a single block of jade. The eyes were probably inlaid originally, with shell or other materials. Representations in ceramics, mural paintings, stone and other media suggest that such heads were mounted on a belt worn by Maya rulers. This particular jade masked belonged to the mother of the powerful king Yax Pac of Copan. Luxurious works of art such as this mask show the thriving artistry of the mayans, who's elite regularly commissioned highly skilled artists to create works that displayed there power and prestige.

This beautiful example was found at Nebaj, a Maya site in the highlands of Guatemala. The most common themes on Nebaj style polychrome vessels are tribute and warfare. The scene here represents the delivery of tribute to a seated lord. Above the basket presented to him are a series of six hieroglyphs which indicate his name and titles, while the other glyph panels correspond to those of the four figures in the scene. Their jewelry, clothing and spangled turbans adorned with flowers suggest that they are members of the élite.

6. This shell has a series of hieroglyphs carved into it. One refers to warfare, while another mentions a person whose name is also found on jade objects thrown as offerings into the Cenote of Sacrifice, at Chichen Itza. These shells originated on the coasts of the Yucatan, but was found in the interior of Guatemala, clearly evidence of a large trade network across the Mayan world.

The scene on this plaque, carved in the so-called 'Nebaj style', shows a Maya lord or ruler seated on a throne with a smaller figure at his feet. The lord wears earplugs, a large pectoral, armlets, wristlets, a belt with a mounted head and a zoomorphic headdress decorated with long feathers. On his left arm he carries a shield with a representation of the Jaguar God, a god of the Underworld. This artifact also shows the Mayan's fascination with the after world, who's mythology was incredibly complex.

This pectoral , broken on both sides, was carved by an Olmec artist and reused by the Maya, as shown by the two Maya glyphs on the left side. The edges framing the head at the top and bottom indicate that it could also have been part of a larger pectoral. This artifact is also clear evidence of significant cross cultural contact and diffusion, common in Mesoamerica.

This stone probably represented a mayan warrior of high statues . This head was part of the elaborate decoration on the exterior of a large temple structure, most of which was badly degraded by the passage of time.

9. This Mayan stone relief carving is but one panel of a extensive series of carvings that record the exploits and military campaigns of the powerful king Shield Jaguar.