The Metropolitan Museum of Art Student Preparation Materials Background Information

When the Spanish conquerer, Hernan Cortes landed in in 1519, he found

the extensive Aztec Empire headed by Montezuma II. The Europeans were amazed to find

that the Aztec had a complex writing system, a method of notation for mathematical

computation, as well as an accurate calendar. Their agricultural techniques were highly

developed — canals for irrigation, granaries for the harvests. The capital, Tenochtitlan,

now the site of Mexico , was a complex urban center with towering , temples,

palaces, and impressive mansions for the nobility.

However, the history of Middle America, (the area from north of Mexico City

south to Panama) does not begin with the Aztecs. In fact, civilization extends back

nearly three thousand years. Although Cortes and his followers caused untold destruction,

and arrested the development of indigenous culture, other earlier cultures had already

been lost. in the Valley of Mexico was destroyed by fire near the end of the

7th Century A.D.; Maya built before 900 had been abandoned and covered by jungle

growth. It has been the work of archaeologists to excavate these sites, and many more,

in order to unearth buildings, cities, tombs and reclaim a great cultural heritage from

the earth.

This special exhibition, BEFORE CORTES, has been designed and arranged to

explore the spectacular artistic production of Middle America from the mid-12th Century B.C.

to the early 16th Century A.D. More than three hundred works are included - of stone,

wood, clay, mosaic, jade, gold and other materials.

GALLERIES 1 and 2 Olmec Culture

Very little is known about the Olmec people who flourished from about 1150

to 550 B.C. in the lowlands of the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The best known Olmec sites are

at La Venta, Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo, all of which seem to have been ceremonial centers, - 2 -

Colossal heads, carved of basalt by the Olmec are especially remarkable; the one in

Gallery 1 weighs 5 1/4 tons. Others weigh as much as 25 tons and measure up to 9' high.

The Olmec produced not only sculpture on colossal scale, but they also created finely

finished figures from jade, all without the aid of metal or mechanical tools. The Olmec

are equally famous for their handsome pottery and fine clay sculpture. Knowing little

about Olmec dogma, it is difficult to penetrate and interpret the exact function of their

art. However, the most characteristic motif is the jaguar, probably a symbol of power

and life-force. The "jaguar-baby" figure is prevalent and, as the legendary child born

of jaguar and woman is surely a key to Olmec religion.

Polished stone axes, or celts have been unearthed with many of the figure

sculptures. They may represent thunderbolts of the gods. They are always well-finished

stones, beautifully polished and frequently incised or carved.

The commanding Olmec style and subject matter spread throughout much of Middle

America, and archaeologists have discovered Olmec influence over a very long span of time.

GALLERY 3 Central Mexico

The extent of Olmec presence and influence in the Central Plateau of Mexico can be seen in the Preclassic works in this gallery. Interestingly, the finest Olmec ceramics have been discovered at what might be called "colonial" settlements in Central

Mexico. Archaeologists have recognized that these ceramics are as ancient as those in the Olmec heartland in the Gulf Coast. Note the fine hollow clay figure (Plate 17) and

the figures that depict the "child deity" (Plate 19). The "child deity" sculptures are simple and naturalistic. Almost all are seated with legs apart and lack any indication of sex, clothing or jewelry except for ear ornaments and headgear. These clay figures were

formed in more or less the same manner as ceramic pots. They are finished with a layer of color, usually red, buff, cream, gray or black. (Plate 24).

Olmecs appear to have treasured jade more than any other material. Three fine jade carvings are illustrated here. (Plates 41, 46 and 48.) - 3 -

GALLERY 4 Post-Olmec

The spread of Olmec culture established a common style and subject matter throughout Middle America. As yet, the Late Preclassic period (approximately 500 - 100 B.C.) has no other accepted name or clearly defined center. However, Olmec influence can be seen in the developing styles of highland and lowland as well as in the southern, eastern and central parts of Mexico. The large, freestanding head in this gallery is nearly 5' high. It reveals the broad flat nose, heavy lips and turned down mouth reminiscent of the Olmec head in Gallery 1. Yet there are differences: the eyes are closed, there is no headdress, the carving is rougher. The head was excavated recently at Monte Alto in Guatemala.

GALLERY 5 Izapan

Following the transitional post-Olmec era, a new style of carving appeared in southern Middle America. It is a style that emphasized softer, curving lines and more elaborate compositions. Since well-preserved monuments in this style have been found in the original settings at the site of , on the Pacific slope of Mexico almost at the Guatemala border, the style has been named Izapan. As Izapan relief carving developed a fineness in the precision of cut forms and delicate textures can be seen (e.g., Catalog // 60). By the 1st Century B.C. the Izapan style produced its most sophisticated monuments.

Izapan ceramics, although usually decorated with abstract patterns rather than representational images, include a few effigy jars (Plate 78). The refined, sophisticated

Izapan sculptures in clay and stone are forerunners of the art of the Classic era in

Middle America. An important point is the appearance of hieroglyphic writing on Izapan

reliefs. This writing is ancestral to the Maya.

GALLERY 6 Western Mexico

On the West Coast of Mexico are the present-day states of Guerrero, Colima,

Jalisco, and Nayarit. In each of these states, distinctive, individual styles developed. - 4 -

In the Mezcala region of Guerrero a particularly appealing abstract style of stonework appeared. Sculptors defined the human figure by broad planes and grooves (Plate 79.).

Most of the Guerrero carvings have a basic elliptical shape, with no extraneous surface detail.

The Colima—Jalisco—Nayarit area is noted for clay sculpture. Animals, plants and human figures give us revealing glimpses into the everyday life of these people (Plate 101). For example you will find in this gallery a three-dimensional village scene, with four buildings and dozens of small figures.

GALLERY 7 Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan, or "place of the gods'," was probably the first true city of ancient America. During the early 3rd Century its area was nearly nine square miles, twice the size of 3rd Century Rome! The first half of the Classic Period, (AD 250 - 950) was generally an era of well-being, and the cultural achievements of Teotihuacan influenced such distant regions as the Gulf Coast, Oaxaca and the Maya area. The majestic pyramids and buildings displayed fine stone sculpture. The exteriors were brightly painted and there were murals, too, within the patios and rooms.

Much of the sculpture that exists from Teotihuacan is forceful, massive, geometric; many pieces perhaps served as architectural decoration. A very different but characteristic form of Teotihuacan sculpture is the stone mask, noted for its stylized formality, its idealized abstraction. These masks, found in many different sizes, have deeply cut eye and mouth openings that were originally filled with shell, pyrite or obsidian. They are quite heavy, certainly impractical to wear, and it is probable that they were tied over the faces of the dead. Masks and figures were usually carved in green or greenish stone, but no longer in jade, which was used almost exclusively for ritual offerings and personal adornment.

Examples of clay sculpture offer us thousands of figurines in which we see the early use of pottery molds, with details finished by hand. The large pottery censers are extraordinarily complex, and are masterpieces of molded ceramic sculpture.

(Plates 122 and 126.) . - 5 -

Even after Teotihuacan had been destroyed by fire towards the end of the

7th Century, its ruins continued to be an important religious site. Teotihuacan symbols, motifs and forms were incorporated into regional styles in other parts of Mexico and the

Maya area.

GALLERY 8 Maya

Of all the Mexican cultures none is more famous than the Maya, and many think

Maya art is the most beautiful in ancient Middle America. In speaking of the Maya, we must identify three areas: 1) the southern (Pacific coast highlands); 2) the central

(Guatemalan rain forests); and 3) the northern (northern Yucatan Peninsula).

The Maya devoted enormous time and energy to the development of architecture for their vast ceremonial-religious centers such as the ones at Copan (),

(Guatemala), and (Mexico). Maya artists were highly skilled sculptors in stone, stucco and wood; painters of fresco murals and pottery. The sculptors often worked in limestone or sandstone to create spectacular stelae, altars, thrones, temple sculptures and other architectural ornaments. In this gallery, there are examples of a favorite Maya form: the carved stela. These large upright stones carved on one to four sides, usually portrayed important rulers in ceremonies or special roles, as priests or warriors. The costumes and headdresses are very elaborate and have symbolic meaning. Many of the decorative motifs which appear incredibly tangled to our eyes, are symbols related to the hieroglyphic inscriptions that explain the subject matter and date the stelae. The fine compositions, the balanced designs, and the brilliant execution of much classic Maya sculpture demand admiration.

In clay sculpture, there is a sporadic Maya tradition of small figures, some modeled by hand, others made partly or entirely in molds. The figures were always finished by hand-detailing the costumes and personal accessories; most of them were also painted. Several Late Classic (AD 550 - 950) pieces are on exhibit. The majority of these attractive sculptures have come from the burials on the island of Jaina, off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (Plate 177). - 6 -

Jades, too, have come from the hands of Maya craftsmen who, like their

predecessors, treasured jade more highly than any other material (Plate 187). They also

lavished great care on shell work and produced fine mosaic (Plate 188). Flint sculpture,

an extremely difficult technique, is another highly refined form of Maya art. The

flints were used as scepters and for votive offerings; in addition to the traditional,

symbolic shapes there are more elaborate works that depict one or more profile figures

or heads.

GALLERY 9 Oaxaca

The fertile Valley of Oaxaca, in the mountains south of Veracruz, was dominated by the acropolis of Monte Alban built by the Zapotecs. Their known history goes back to

about AD 250, and is divided by archaeologists into five periods, Monte Alban I through V.

Monte Alban III, which corresponds to the Classic Period, shows evidence of Teotihuacan

influence in architecture and sculpture, but the famous Zapotec modeled funerary urns were

developed mainly from local traditions. These urns were offerings in themselves, not

containers for the remains of the dead. Overwhelming headdresses exaggerate the power of

these images (e.g., Catalog #157).

After 1200, the city seems to have been largely deserted but the invading

Mixtec people took over areas of the Zapotec city for use as a burial center.

Archaeologists have found quantities of jade and gold tomb furnishings in this region

(e.g., Catalog #297 in Gallery 13).

Veracruz

During the Classic Period the Gulf Coast assimilated the traditions of the

southern Zapotec and Maya along with those from Teotihuacan in the north. The potters

of the Gulf Coast produced some of the greatest works ever achieved in large hollow

clay sculpture. Central Veracruz is the key area, just north of the early Olmec heartland,

Because Remojadas is the most important site, we traditionally use this name in referring

to all the ceramics of the culture. Only this art style, in ancient America, portrays - 7 - a smiling face. The sculptures usually represent children and may have been charming clay companions for the dead, designed to dance and sing for him in the next life. A large number of the heads were buried intact. Many of the laughing figures are whistles, which may have been used in ancient ceremonies.

The stone sculpture is identified by the name "Tajin style" again because of the best known archaeological site - El Tajin. Relief decoration was brilliantly adapted to the shape of the object, and these sculptures are recognized by their elaborate scrollwork, interlaces and the double outlines in the motifs.

The ritual ball game, a combination of basketball, volley ball, soccer and jai-alai, played with a rubber ball, was extremely important throughout Middle America, including Puerto Rico. Impressive stone courts were built in the Maya areas for these games. The ball itself possibly represented the sun, which had to be kept aloft through the efforts of both gods and men. The hacha, palma and yoke sculptures are probably stone reproductions of the actual equipment used by the players; perhaps they were ball court markers or trophies.

GALLERY 10 Antilles

The island chain of the West Indies geographically forms a part of Middle

America. The area's Arawak inhabitants probably began moving up from South America during the first millenium B.C.; by the time that Columbus encountered the island Arawaks, they had evolved a distinctive culture, called the Taino. Mexico's Gulf Coast civilization had influenced both their art and the patterns of society. Handsome sculpture in wood and stone has been found in Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Most of the finest pieces were made for the caciques (chiefs) and nobles, and many for the ritual ball game (Plate 239).

GALLERIES 11 A and 11 B Central America

The isthmus region connecting North and South America included modern Honduras,

El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Through trade, the area was greatly - 8 - influenced by more advanced neighboring cultures to the north and south. Small objects in stone and metalwork show well-developed local styles and a high degree of craftsmanship.

The best known forms of art are the beautiful Costa Rican jades, the gold ornaments from

Panama and Costa Rica, the stone sculpture and elaborately modeled ceramic effigy jars of humans, animals or monsters from Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Coastal trade must have brought the art of goldworking from Columbia, Ecuador and Peru, but we cannot surely date the earliest gold objects made in Central America before the early 6th Century AD. The favored lost-wax process of gold casting requires great technical ability, and the goldsmiths and stone cutters of Central America demonstrated their virtuosity by creating fantastic animal, human and anthropomorphic figurines which we still prize today as jewelry and precious sculpture (Plates 220, 228, and 232).

GALLERY 12 Toltec

By the end of the 9th Century the Toltecs had invaded the Valley of Mexico and established their capital city of Tula, just northwest of modern Mexico City. This tribe of warriors came to dominate Middle America within a short time, and Tula became the center of a strong empire, the successor of fallen Teotihuacan. The Toltecs adopted the artistic skills of earlier peoples to glorify their astral and military gods. Scenes of the warrior cults, war, death and sacrifice appear frequently in their art. Their carving is sharp and angular, and their sculpture often functioned architecturally. The monumental Atlantean figures for example, are stylized but exhibit great boldness and realism (Plate 249).

The Central Mexican warriors imposed themselves on many areas, including those as far east as northern Yucatan. They invaded Chichen Itza and established their own ceremonial center adjacent to the old Maya city. When "urban renewal" became necessary, the Toltec people designed their plan and decoration similar to that at Tula, but the

Toltec nobles used local craftsmen who imparted much of their own tradition including more subtle carving and finer proportions. - 9 -

The Toltecs brought the art of metalworking into Mexico from Central America.

Many beautiful gold objects have been discovered in Toltec deposits at Chichen Itza, especially in the cenote, the well of sacrifice.

The ceramic sculpture of the Toltec era is vigorous and expressive. Blocky shapes, flat planes and geometric simplification characterize most of the human and animal figures.

GALLERIES 13 and 14 Aztec

In 1325, a wandering tribe from the north settled on an island in Lake Texcoco and founded Tenochtitlan. Within less than two centuries they grew into a great imperial power, exacting tribute from most of Mexico. The Aztecs were known for their great energy and fanatic zeal; their priests cultivated the idea that they were the chosen

"people of the sun" whose divine mission was to save mankind by sustaining the sun with the blood of sacrificial victims - mostly prisoners of war. They were fearless warriors, shrewd politicians and masters of duplicity. During the early 15th Century they attempted to disguise their insignificant ancestry by rewriting history, literally burning the old books of conquered peoples. They assumed all the civilized accomplishments

— splendid art and architecture, literature, fine craftsmanship, compulsory education, iron discipline, self-control and good manners — and they established a super-organized social, political and economic complex. The Aztecs' merciless conquests endeared them to no one, and ultimately played a large part in their downfall, by providing Cortes with a vast number of enthusiastic allies.

Aztec sculpture and other arts express brutal vigor and dramatic realism. Often, the symbolism is complex and the subject matter gruesome; we recognize human skulls, rapacious eagles, objects relating to war and human sacrifice (Plates 281 and 295).

However, the sculpture of plants, animals and human figures exhibits vivid naturalism based on accurate observation. Aztec craftsmanship in wood carving, metalwork, mosaic and cutting hard and semiprecious stones demands great admiration (Plates 291 and 298). - 10 -

"Those who became artists were highly favored people. Aztec records indicate that they should be born on one of the favorable days in order to be granted the talent for their work. But this alone was not enough, for they must also cultivate this talent, as an Aztec informant related to the Spaniards:

The artist: disciple, abundant, multiple, restless. The true artist, capable, practicing, skillful, Maintains a dialogue with his heart, meets things with his mind. The true artist draws out all from his heart; Works with delight; makes things with calm, with sagacity; ... Arranges materials; adorns them; makes them adjust.

Although this passage suggests that the artist must draw his inspiration from within, this was seldom the case. He was a servant of religion and the community, reflecting and supporting the society for which he worked. Unlike recent Western art, creation was not a matter to be left only to the artist's own inspiration. Rather, the

Middle American artist followed closely the rigid canons of those artists who preceded him and taught him. For this reason, very similar objects were produced by different hands, even over the course of centuries. The artist was careful not to depart from what his priest and noble patrons expected nor to endanger the proven efficacy of religious images."

Catalogue - page 44: "Before Carte's, Sculpture of Middle America" by E.K. Easby and J.F. Scott. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Student Preparation Materials Bibliography

American Museum of Natural History, The. Ancient Mexico and Central America. Exhibition catalogue. Introduction by Gordon F. Ekholm. New York, 1970. Paper Ed. $5.00.

Bernal, Ignacio. Mexico Before Cortez: Art History and Legend. New York: Doubleday, 1963. Paper Ed. $.25

Bushnell, G.H.S. Ancient Art of the Americas. New York: Praeger, 1965. Paper Ed. $3.95.

Coe, Michael D. Mexico. New York: Praeger, 1962. Paper Ed. $3.95.

Coe, William R. Tikal: A Handbook of the Ancient Maya Ruins. University of Pensylvania, 1967

Easby, Elizabeth Kennedy and Scott, John F. Before Cortes, Sculpture of Middle America. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970. Exhibition catalogue. Paper Ed. $6.95.

Helfritz, Hans. Mexican Cities of the Gods, An Archaeological Guide. New York: Praeger, 1968. Paper Ed. $3.50.

Keleman, Pal. Medieval American Art. New York: Dover Publications, 1969. 2 Volumes, Paper Ed. $3.75 each.

Kubler, George. The Art and Architecture of Ancient America. London and Baltimore: Pelican History of Art. 1962.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, The. Art of Oceania, Africa and the Americas from The Museum of Primitive Art. Exhibition catalogue. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1969. $4.95.

Peterson, Frederick A. Ancient Mexico. New York: Capricorn Books, 1961. Paper Ed. $1.65.

Robertson, Donald. Pre-Columbian Architecture. New York: George Braziller, 1963. $4.95.

Soustelle, Jacques. Daily Life of the Aztecs. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1961. Paper Ed. $2.95.

Thompson, J. Eric S. The Rise and Fall of the Maya Civilization. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1970. Hardcover $5.95.

Vaillant, George C. The Aztecs of Mexico. London: Pelican Books, 1950. Paper Ed. $2.95.

Westheim, Paul. The Sculpture of Ancient Mexico, La Escultura del Mexico Antiquo. (In Spanish and English) New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1963. Paper Ed. $1.45.

For General background and especially for younger readers.

Coe, Michael, D. America's First Civilization: Discovering the Olmec. New York: American Heritage for Smithsonian Institution; 1968. illustrated - 2 -

Glubok, Shirley, ed. The Fall of the Aztecs. New York: St. Martins, 1965. Text from Bernal Diaz del Castillo; illustrations based on original Aztec drawings.

Horizon Magazine, Cortes and the Aztec Conquest. New York: American Heritage, 1965. illustrated.

White, Ann Terry. Lost Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology. New York: Random House, 1941 illustrated. See part four for chapters on Maya. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Student Preparation Materials Visual Materials

17. STANDING FIGURE, orange buff clay, 21 5/8" high, Santa Cruz, Morelos, Mexico, Middle Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C., Dr. and Mrs. Milton Arno Leof, Mexico City.

19. SEATED CHILD, pale orange clay, 13 1/4" high, Central Mexico, Middle Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C., Dr. and Mrs. Josue Saenz, Mexico City.

24. DUCK, polished pearl gray clay, 4 5/8" high, Tlapacoya, , Middle Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C., Dr. and Mrs. Milton Arno Leof, Mexico City.

41. FIGURE HOLDING A JAGUAR-BABY, translucent sea green jadeite, 8 5/8" high, Middle Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C., Guennol Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair Bradley Martin, Katonah, New York.

46. BIRD PENDANT, blue green jadeite, 3 5/8" high, Middle Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C., John Huston, County Galway, Ireland.

48. LARGE DUCK-HEAD PENDANT, emerald-colored jadeite, 1 7/8" high, Middle Preclassic, probably 700-600 B.C., Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico.

68. MAN HOLDING A JAGUAR CUB, pale green fuchsite, 7 " high, Tamahu, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, Late Preclassic, 400-200 B.C., Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia, Guatemala.

78. JAR WITH THE HEAD OF A WIND GOD, clay, 11 3/8" high, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, Protoclassic, 100 B.C. - A. D. 100, Museo Nacional de Anthropologic, Mexico.

79. STANDING FIGURE, pale greenstone with speckling, 16 1/8" high, Mezcala region, Guerrero, Mexico, Late Preclassic, about 4th century B.C., Dr. and Mrs. Milton Arno Leof, Mexico City.

101. KNEELING CHINESCA WOMAN, coarse orange clay, 21 1/4" high, Ixcuintla region, Nayarit, Mexico, Protoclassic, early Chametla phase, 100 B.C. - A.D. 250, Dr. and Mrs. Josue Saenz

109. PLUMED JAGUAR, creamy white aragonite (tecali), 13" long, said to have been found at the foot of the of the Sun, Teotihaucan, Teotihuacan II, A.D. 150-250, The , London.

122. CENSER, buff clay, 23 5/8" high, Atzcapotzalco, D.F., Teotihuacan III, Early Xolalpan phase, A.D. 450-550, Museo Nacional de Antropologfa, Mexico.

126. "PATO LOCO", fire-clouded buff clay, 9 1/2" high, Burial 66, La Ventanilla district, Teotihuacan, Teotihuacan II, Early Tlamimilolpan phase, A.D. 250-375, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico.

152. OPENWORK HACHA OF A MAN STRUGGLING WITH A SNAKE, greenstone, 12 3/4" high, Pacific slope of Guatemala, Late Classic, A.D. 750-950, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Josefowitz, Lausanne, Switzerland. - 2 -

177. WATER-LILY SPIRIT, buff clay, 8 1/4" high, probably from Jaina, Campeche, Mexico, Late Classic, A.D. 700-900, The Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund.

187. HEAD PENDANT, jadeite, 3 3/8" high, Sacred Cenote, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, Late Classic, A.D. 706, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

188. MOSAIC HEAD PENDANT, jadeite, 4 3/8" high, Late Classic, probably 8th century A.D., Robin B. Martin, Katonah, New York.

215. STANDING WOMAN, polychrome pottery, 25 1/2" high, Filadelfia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Linear Decorated phase, A.D. 300-500, Oscar Herrera Mata, San Jose, Costa Rica.

220. LONG-BEAKED BIRD PENDANT, deep green jadeite, 2 3/4" high, Guacimo, Costa Rica, probably Period III-IV, A.D. 1-500, The Museum of Primitive Art, New York.

228. TWIN-WARRIOR PENDANT, gold and serpentine, 4 1/4" high, Parita, Panama, Late Code style, 800-1200, jointly owned by Mrs. Harold L. Bache and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

232. ANIMAL-HEAD BELL, gold with greenstone insets, 1 1/4" high, Late Code style, 800-1200, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of H.L. Bache Foundation.

239. CEREMONIAL STOOL, hard dark brown wood, 17 1/4" high, Dominican Republic, Taino, phase IVb, 1200-1493, The British Museum, London.

249. ATLANTEAN WARRIOR, basalt, 28 3/4" high, Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, Early Postclassic, 856-1168, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico.

281. GREENSTONE XOLOTL, blue green jadeite, 11 3/4" high, Aztec, about 1440-1521, Wiirttembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart.

291. PECTORAL (?) IN THE FORM OF XOLOTL, wood, shell and turquiose inlay, 3 1/2" high, Valley of Mexico, Aztec-Mixtec style, about 1461-1521, Museum fur Volkerkunde, Vienna.

295. HANDLE FROM A SACRIFICIAL KNIFE, wood, shell, mother-of-pearl, 5 1/8" high, Aztec-Mixtec style, about 1461-1521, Museo Nacional Preistorico ed Etnografico Luigi Pigorini, Rome.

298. PECTORAL, gold, 3 5/8" high, Valley of Oaxaca, Mixtec, late 15th century, John Huston, County Galway, Ireland.

307. NICHE FIGURE, silver gilt, bronze, enamel and jewels, 23 5/8" high, Munich 1720, Schatzkammer der Residenz Mlinchen. SANDAK, Inc. • NEW YORK PAINTING AND SCULPTURE: 1940-1970 Painting and sculpture by the artists who have worked in New York dur­ is pleased to announce ing its most creative period, its appointment set no. 681 100 slides $125.00 set no. 682 50 slides (edited) $62.50 as producer and distributor Complimentary exhibition catalog included with set no. 681. of color slide sets

documenting The • THE YEAR 1200 Metropolitan Museum of Art Works of art lent to the Metropolitan Museum from collections in Europe and the U.S. isolating a rich humanistic style that flourished throughout Centennial Exhibitions. the medieval world between 1180 and 1220. set no. 683 150 slides $187.50 set no. 684 100 slides $150.00 set no. 685 50 slides $ 62.50 set no. 686 25 slides $ 31.25 set no. 699 (Stained Glass & Manuscripts only) 25 slides $31.25. Complimentary exhibition catalog included with set no. 683.

• 19TH-CENTURY AMERICA Paintings, sculpture, furniture, decorative arts and period rooms from the century in which the Metropolitan Museum was born. set no. 700 (complete) 100 slides $125.00 set no. 708 (painting & sculpture) 50 slides $62.50 set no. 709 (furniture & other dec. arts) 50 slides $62.50 For a limited time only the following exhibition catalogs (soft cover) will be available from Sandak @ $5.95 each: 79th-Cenfury America — Paintings and Sculpture T9th-Century America — Furniture & Other Decorative Arts

• BEFORE CORTES: SCULPTURE OF MIDDLE AMERICA More than 300 pieces of sculpture, some colossal in size, representing major styles of Middle America during 3,000 years before the Spanish Conquest, (late Fall 1970) set no. 702 100 slides $125.00 set no. 704 50 slides (edited) $62.50 Complimentary exhibition catalog included with set no. 702.

• MASTERPIECES OF FIFTY CENTURIES The Centennial's piece de resistance: a comprehensive look at the great­ est treasures from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition shows the scope and depth of the Metropolitan Museum's collection with selec­ tions from all the Museum's departments covering the entire span of the history of art. (Winter 1970-1971)

Slides documenting these exhibitions will be available from Sandak in sets only. Sets are delivered in distinctive Sandak slide files commem­ orating the Centennial Exhibitions.

INC SANDAK 4 East 48 Street, New York, N.Y. 10017/212-688-2460 Captions for VISUAL MATERIALS: Before Cortes

17. STANDING FIGURE. Vent holes for the firing of this astonishingly large figure are placed in the navel, in the eyes, and at three points across the back. For balance, the stubby feet have heels projecting as far behind the legs as the toes project in front.

19. SEATED CHILD. This and other similar figures are emphatically geometric, yet full of life. They seem to hold poses with the disciplined energy of a dancer or acrobat. Known by type as "child-deity" or "jaguar-children" these striking figures are made in the hollow-clay technique.

2k. DUCK. This stylized, rather humorous effigy is most interesting for its resist decoration. The fired ceramic duck was painted with slip or wax in the desired pattern. The potter then applied black color over all, and when he removed the resistant material, he had an attractive two-color design for his duck.

1+1. FIGURE HOLDING A JAGUAR-BABY. Of the three minerals properly called jade (nephrite, jadeite, and chloromelanite), only jadeite was used for carvings in Middle America. Two varieties of jadeite are present in this single-stone sculpture. The colors are sea green and emerald green. It is a superb example of lapidary work and a well known Olmec masterpiece.

1+6. BIRD PENDANT. Although of blue-green color, this bird is so naturalistic that it can be identified as a king vulture by the caruncle on the beak and the feather incising which separates what would be the live bird's black wings, white shoulders and multi-colored head. Note the two holes drilled for sus­ pension of the pendant. i+8. LARGE DUCK-HEAD PENDANT. The term "large" is relative to jade pendants; for in fact even at 1 7/8", this is one of the largest pendants known in its period. Jade was most treasured by the Olmecs. Many finely wrought pieces have been discovered in tombs.

68. MAN HOLDING A JAGUAR-CUB. This figure shows Olmec influence for it repre­ sents a jaguar cared for by a man, who has slightly feline features. The textureless, pointed beard may be a characteristic feature of post-Olmec renderings. Two pairs of holes in the back indicate that the figure served as a pendant.

78. JAR WITH THE HEAD OF A WIND GOD. This effigy jar was found in 1962 in the rich Urn Burial 6 from Mound 30 at Izapa. A flaky layer of stucco, poorly pre­ served, was removed from the jar when it was excavated. The wide-open mouth motif may be an early manifestation of the wind god.

79. STANDING FIGURE. This figure retains the overall form of a hand axe. Sharply edged planes define the facial features, while deep grooves call attention to eyes, ears, and arms. The basic form was probably achieved by chipping and pecking. The grooves were cut with sandstone blades or wedge-shaped tools, used with water and powdered abrasives, and the surface was polished with a fine powder. (Visuals - 2)

101. KNEELING CHINESCA WOMAN. Humorously called "Martian" Chinescas, because of their bizarre appearance, figures of this type bring to mind African masks and costumes. The term "chinesca" relates to the "oriental" cast to the eyes. Realism gives way to stylized modeling, the simplified forms are enhanced by the bold geometric patterns.

109. PLUMED JAGUAR. All four paws display, in place of naturalistic pads, the abstract pattern seen so often in the art of Teotihuacan as an emblem of the god Tlaloc, patron deity of the city. The two holes in the back, oval and rectangular, suggest that this creature was an offering vessel, or possibly a kind of reliquary.

122. CENSER. Incense burned in the thick-rimmed bowl would rise through a chimney opening behind the crest at "roof level". This "theater type" of censer was popu­ lar in Teotihuacan in its heyday, though this one comes from a colony west of Lake Texcoco (now a Mexico City suburb) where old traditions were carried on long after the fall of the capital.

126. "PATO LOCO". Affectionately named "crazy duck" by its excavators, this sur­ prising bird has the beak of the quetzal (bird) as seen so often in the art of Teotihuacan. Since the encircling feather crest and large eyes were also essential quetzal characteristics, these features were added in orange shell and jade.

152. OPENWORK HACHA OF A MAN STRUGGLING WITH A SNAKE. This hacha, a ball court marker, depicts a figure, perhaps a culture hero, wrestling with a huge snake, a constrictor. It is carved front and back (this plate shows the rear, reverse side). Unlike most hachas, this one has sides that are not mirror images of each other but shows the rear and front view of the group.

177. WATER-LILY SPIRIT. In this fine Maya piece, we see a small deity who elegantly emerges from a water-lily seedpod. The charming subject and fragility of the clay form makes it one of the rare existing pieces of this type of sculp­ ture. The famous "Maya blue" paint has not been lost nor the many fine applied surface decorations indicating details of costume and jewelry.

187. HEAD PENDANT. This Maya jewel had been broken intentionally and flung into the Sacred Well of Sacrifice at Chichen Itza. The fragments have been restored and there is an inscription on the back rim and chin that connects this piece with the distant city of Piedras Negras and commemorates the anniversary of an important ruler's ascension to power there.

188. MOSAIC HEAD PENDANT. This pendant is slightly larger than the Maya pendant, #187, and it is made in the mosaic technique. However, it has the same motif of a head with monster-mask headdress and is similarly hollowed out in back and perforated at the temples.

215. STANDING WOMAN. No other ceramic figure so large as this has yet been found in lower Central America. It was discovered, broken, in a burial at the Finca El Viejo that contained a similar figure half its size, but nothing else. This area is, and has long been known for handsomely carved stone metates (in the exhibition see #22l), club heads, and jades that were contemporary with this clay figure. (Visuals - 3)

220. LONG-BEAKED BIRD PENDANT. Pendants of this kind, common among jades of Linea Vieja region, are often called "beak birds". These birds, however, are not truly avian; instead of wings, this unusually large one has arms bent at the elbow with the hands clasped on the chest, and at its feet there is a human head.

228. TWIN WARRIOR PENDANT. Twins and pairs are not uncommon in Panamanian gold work. This pendant appears to represent the heads of two warriors with the attributes of the leaf-nosed bat god. The two seem to have been cast separately and then joined by securing the two bars cast on the back. Instead of a body, each has an inset tusk of serpentine.

232. ANIMAL-HEAD BELL. This piece is a fine example of a hollow lost-wax casting, for the entire piece with all its fine details and spirals was cast in a single operation.

239. CEREMONIAL STOOL. The form of this stool was probably suggested by the shape of the piece of wood from which it was carved. A guiding principal of this region was to work a material in such a way as to reveal the spirit hidden within it. Stools such as this were the property of Arawak chiefs, who used them on important occasions.

2U9. ATLANTEAN WARRIOR. This figure was discovered in the 19I+I excavation at Tula; it was buried in a trench. This, and other figures found, undoubtedly formed the supports for a horizontal structure serving as a platform or table in the temple sanctuary at Tula. As each of the figures is consciously differ­ ent in dress, they may possibly represent all the different tribes tributary to the Toltecs, and symbolically support the weight of the empire.

28l. GREENSTONE XOLOTL. Xolotl, this skeletal god, represents the planet Venus as the evening star; he is the "dog deity" who guides the sun through the under­ world during the night. Notice his elaborate costume; much of the decorative carving is, in reality, symbolic of the sun, of Venus, and of Quetzalc6atl. Calendar dates are carved on the hands. Originally shell, or other inlay filled the two holes on the figure's stomach.

291. PECTORAL. This piece is generally regarded to be a part of the loot sent back to Spain by Cortes. It is in remarkable condition for its age, fragility and complicated structure.

295. HANDLE FROM A SACRIFICIAL KNIFE. This is one of the best known mosaic knife handles from the Aztec culture. In terms of color and delicacy of work­ manship, this is possibly the finest piece of Pre-Columbian stone and shell mosaic in existence. Probably only Mixtec craftsmen could have produced such quality.

298. PECTORAL. This is a fine example of Mixtec lost-wax casting. Note the treatment of the eyes and mouth, the disk ear ornaments, and the designs for different lengths of hair.

307. NICHE FIGURE. The carved, greenstone face that enlivens this sumptous, l8th century German creation, was carved by a Middle American artist some 2,000 years ago I It had been re-cut in Aztec times and it is believed that around l6ll it entered the collection of Albrecht V of Bavaria. Standing figure

NUMBER 17 Seated child

NUMBER 19 e

OPPOSITE Figure holding a jaguar baby

NUMBER 41

Duck

NUMBER 24

Bird pendant

NUMBER 46

Large duck-head pendant

NUMBER 48

A

Man holding a jaguar cub

NUMBER 68 Standing figure

NUMBER 79 A V

M OPPOSITE Jar with the head of a wind god

NUMBER 78

j&.

Kneeling Chinesca woman

NUMBER IOI

tarn

r^ •• OPPOSITE Openwork hacha of a man struggling with a snake

NUMBER 152

Head pendant

NUMBER 187

Water-lily spirit

NUMBER I77 •' .-*

1: ir d

- „ ^ IP^I \ \ m 3P" Animal-head bell 7*H NUMBER 232 '^MM^W^^— 1 1 a: Long-beaked bird pendant NUMBER 220

•Y • - • rS^c ~~JF '^-i.~ Twin-warrior pendant WWW 'tWrnwi ^^H JHI a. jB^Bjvjr^'l

NUMBER 228

OPPOSITE / n Standing woman ' ^Wt f

NUMBER 215

Hwrm \ AWJmfm Ceremonial stool

NUMBER 239 «•

Atlantean warrior

NUMBER 249 Pectoral(?) in the form of Xolotl

NUMBER 29I

Pectoral

NUMBER 298

Handle from a sacrificial knife

NUMBER 295 Greenstone Xolotl

NUMBER 28l Niche figure

NUMBER 307 Before Cortes

SCULPTURE OF MIDDLE AMERICA Mosaic head pendant

NUMBER 188 Before The Metropolitan Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957: Mexican artist, archaeologist, Cortes: Museum of Art and art historian): "While the Central Andeans were unsurpassed craftsmen and fine artists, the ancient Middle Americans reached Sculpture of September 30,1970 even more extraordinary heights in the artistic and scientific fields. Their achievements in astronomy, time-reckoning, mathe­ Middle America January 3,1971 matics, hieroglyphic writing, and the major arts, such as architec­ ture, sculpture, and mural painting, make Middle America the A guide to the leading Indian cultural center of the hemisphere." Exhibition Henry Moore (contemporary British sculptor): "Mexican sculp­ ture, as soon as I found it, seemed to me true and right, perhaps because I at once hit on similarities in it with some 11th Century carvings I had seen as a boy on Yorkshire churches. Its "stoni- ness," by which I mean its truth to material, its tremendous power PACIFIC OCEAN MEXICO GULF OF MEXICO without loss of sensitiveness, its astonishing variety and fertility of form-invention, its approach to a full three-dimensional con­ ception of form, make it unsurpassed in my opinion by any other period of stone sculpture." Catherwood Las Monjas, Chichen Itzi Jacques Lipchitz (contemporary American sculptor and collector 1a of Middle American art): "I also found so-called great art too Hernando Cortes (from his letter to the Emperor Charles V, pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was upon viewing Tenochtitlan): "There are forty towers at least, all 1a Western Mexico (States of DOMINICAN REPUBLIC freer, more imaginative, more open to all kinds of unorthodox HAITI of stout construction and very lofty, the largest of which has fifty Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit) expression: all kinds of daring in the handling of materials, and steps leading up to its base: this chief one is indeed higher than 1b Western Mexico (Guerrero PUERTO RICO I preferred to surround myself with this type of art than with the the great church of Seville. The workmanship both in wood and region) great collectors' pieces." JAMAICA stone could not be bettered anywhere, for all the stonework within 2 Central Plateau the actual temples where they keep their idols is cut into orna­ 3 Gulf Coast CARIBBEAN SEA mental borders of flowers, birds, fishes and the like, or trellis- 4 Olmec region work, and the woodwork is likewise all in relief highly decorated Before Cortes: Sculpture of Middle America 5 Oaxaca with monsters of very various device. The towers all serve as burying places for their nobles, and the little temples which they 6 Maya area The Metropolitan Museum of Art NICARAGUA contain are all dedicated to a different idol to whom they pay their 7 Lower Central America devotions." Information tive Art, and text chapters by 8 Antilles MUSEUM HOURS Elizabeth K. Easby and John F. Albrecht Diirer (German artist, who in 1520 saw some ancient Monday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to Scott. Price $6.95, paperbound: COSTA RICA art from Mexico): "Also did I see the things which were brought 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to $16.95, clothbound. to the King from the new golden land. . . . Never in all my born 5:00 p.m. Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. days have I seen anything which warmed my heart as much as Related Programs \ to 10:00 p.m. Note: Entrance to these. For I have seen amongst them wondrous artful things and Recorded tour on the exhibition PANAMA SOUTH AMERICA "Before Cortes: Sculpture of I was astounded at the subtle genius of the people in foreign will be available in both English Middle America" closes one lands. I cannot begin to relate all which I beheld there." and Spanish. hour before regular Museum closing time. There will be a symposium of the John Lloyd Stephens (travelled extensively through Central iconography of the art of Middle America and Mexico between 1839 and 1841 with British artist, TELEPHONE NUMBERS General Information, 736-2211 America, chaired by Dr. Gordon Works of art from the West Indies, Columbus' first landfall Frederick Catherwood: Stephens' comments and Catherwood's Comments on Pre-Columbian Art Offices, 879-5500 R. Willey of Harvard University, in 1492, and from several areas of Central America as far drawings added a new dimension to 19th-century interest in the held at the Museum on October art and civilization of ancient America): "Chichen Itza: Casa de south as Panama, have been included in this exhibition. Bernal Diaz del Castillo (a 16th-century eyewitness to the con­ 13, 14, and 15. The results of las Monjas. It is remarkable for its good state of preservation, Publications quest of Tenochtitlan): "We were amazed and said that it was this symposium are to be pub­ However, the term Mesoamerica properly applies to those and the richness and beauty of its ornaments ... It has two like the enchantments they tell of in the legend of Amadis, on EXHIBITION CATALOGUE lished. areas between central Mexico on the north and Nicaragua cornices of tasteful and elaborate design: over the doorways account of the great towers and cues (temples) and buildings ris­ Contains a foreword by Thomas are twenty small cartouches of hieroglyphics, in four rows, five A film relating to the exhibition to the south. ing from the water, and all built of masonry. And some of our P. F. Hoving, Director, a preface in a row... six bold projecting curved ornaments ... and an has been made and will be soldiers asked whether the things that we saw were not a dream." by Dudley T. Easby, Jr., Chair­ irregular niche, in which portions of a seated figure, with a head­ man of the Department of Primi­ shown continuously within the Ball Game dress of feathers, still remain. The rest of the ornaments are of exhibition. that distinctive stamp, characteristic of the ancient American When the Spanish Conquistadors returned to Europe after cities, and unlike the designs of any other people." Student preparation materials their discovery and exploration of the New World, they may be obtained from the De­ partment of High School Pro­ brought back not only art treasures, but also tales of Founding Fathers of the Metropolitan Museum: Ancient art of grams. wonders seen in this new land. One such wonder was the New World showed "a cultivation of the love of beauty, rubber, a material unknown to Europeans. Rubber balls had measured by an independent standard which, however distinct A College Weekend is planned from ours, nevertheless proves the presence of intellectual and for October 23, 24, and 25. been used for centuries in the ball games of the ancient sports, such as soccer, basketball and volley ball. One art loving races of men." American peoples. There are a number of ball courts ex­ objective appears to have been that the players kept the Related concerts and lectures will take place in the Museum tant in Mexico, Central America and the Antilles. ball in motion. However they kept it in play by hitting it Roger Fry (1866-1934, English painter and critic discussing during the time of the exhibition. While there were certainly several variations of the ball with the elbows, knees and hips. Apparently, no hands! Maya art): "In the finest works of Maya culture ... we find ... a plastic sensibility of the rarest kind. I do not know whether even game according to the cultural group and the period in Therefore, players wore protective padding and belts. The in the greatest sculpture of Europe one could find anything Catalogue No. 88. Colima Mask, history—still it appears that these games were team con­ heavy stone yokes in the exhibition are probably stone exactly like this in its equilibrium between system and sensibility, 250-500 A.D. Collection of tests and that they combined elements of our modern versions of ball players' belts made from leather or wood. in its power to suggest all the complexity of nature." Dr. & Mrs. Josue Saenz.

Presented through the generosity of Olivetti Introduction 1 & 2. Olmec 6. Western Mexico Catalogue No. 96. Seated Man from 8. Classic Maya urns outstanding for exuberant Time Line Ameca region, Jalisco. Protoclas­ clay modeling. The monolithic head in the first The ceramic tradition of Western During the Classic Period, the sic, about 2nd Century, A.D. 18Vs" Catalogue No. 145. Carved yoke OLD WORLD The course of pre-Hispanic or, as it is frequently called, gallery introduces the Olmec Mexico is outstanding. Potters of high. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Maya in the Peten, Guatemala, with skeletal faces from Central MIDDLE AMERICA pre-Columbian art, has come full circle in the twentieth civilization, often considered to each district maintained dis­ Alfonso Ramirez H., Mexico City. and the highlands to the south Veracruz. Late Classic, 550-950 A.D. be the mother culture of Middle tinctive local styles. In this gal­ reached the peak of Middle Ivory-colored chalcedony, 16%" 2500-2300 introduction of pottery 2575 B.C. Cheops' Pyramid century. It amazed the Spanish conquistadors four high. Collection of Dr. and Mrs. built in Egypt America. This colossal piece of lery four main regional styles American civilization. These hundred fifty years ago, and when first seen by European Josue Saenz, Mexico City. 1150-550 sculpture weighs 5V* tons and may be noted—Colima, Jalisco, people were accomplished MIDDLE PRECLASSIC PERIOD 1000-961 Reign of King David audiences, it evoked the spontaneous admiration and in Jerusalem is probably a stylized commem­ Ixtlan del Rio and Compostela, astronomers and mathema­ 10. Antilles Olmec civilization (centering in extravagant praise of such Renaissance figures as Durer, orative portrait of a ruler. By Nayarit. This pottery, reflecting ticians: they had an advanced southern Veracruz and western 1150 B.C. Olmec culture a lively interest in representa­ form of hieroglyphic writing. In While the Pre-Columbian chief- Tabasco, but objects in Olmec Cellini, and Peter Martyr, an Italian cleric who wrote the j^ ., uiaV style found throughout flourished in the tropical low­ doms of the West Indies were tions of daily life, contrasts with the arts, the Maya are known for yet adapting them, in a sophis­ Mesoamerica) first history of the New World. But all too soon it lapsed quite distinct in culture from the 605-561 Reign of Nebuchad- lands of the Gulf Coast. This the formally stylized stone carv­ their distinguished and innova­ ticated manner, to the needs of nessar, King of Babylon as an art in Europe, to continue there merely as exotica in amazing civilization established ings for which Guerrero is tive architecture, freestanding ritual and symbolism. civilization of Middle America, to be translations into stone of 550-100 447-438 The Parthenon built in Catalogue No. 174. Openwork Re­ the island chain does comprise the wood belts worn by players LATE PRECLASSIC PERIOD some princeling's Wunderkammer and still later in mu­ a common style and subject noted. and relief sculpture, as well as Athens lief probably from lower Usuma- in the ancient ball games. Post-Olmec styles in Guerrero, seums narrowly confined to ethnology and anthropology. matter which influenced much of polished jade masks and figures mural and vase painting. Many a geographical part of Middle 7. Teotihuacan cinta Valley, Chiapas or Tabasco. Catalogue No. 241. Massive Belt Oaxaca, Central Mexico, Middle America. Sculptors, (in 2) with the colossal head. of the pieces in this gallery illus­ America. Excavations in Puerto Late Classic, late 8th-early 9th Cen­ from Arecibo. Puerto Rico. Taino, southern Guatemala Like the men of the Renaissance, the founding fathers without benefit of metal tools, Here was the earliest, true urban trate the Maya achievement in Rico have revealed early ball 332 Conquest of Mesopotamia Catalogue No. 34. Jaguar-Child tury A.D. Limestone, 44" high. Col­ 1000-1494 A.D. Black and gray 300 B.C.-A.D.300 Flourishing from San Lorenzo, Veracruz. Middle complex in Middle America. The 1 and Egypt by Alexander the of this Museum paid high tribute to the ancient art of the produced works of art of tre­ drawing, rendering human lection of Dr.and Mrs. Josue Saenz, courts, as well as oval sculptures stone, 20 /2" long. Museum of the of shaft-tomb burials and offer­ Preclassic, 1150-550 B.C. Basalt, largest and oldest of Teotihua- ings in Western Mexico Great mendous scale and also of mini­ 1 figures in realistic, natural poses Mexico City. called "collar stones," thought American Indian, Heye Foundation. New World. Some fine works were acquired and exhibited 35 /2" high. Museo Nacional de ature delicacy. Compare the can's structures is the Pyramid briefly, but the farsightedness of the originating trustees Antropologia, Mexico. 100 B.C.-A.D. 250 of the Sun, a majestic reminder 44 Death of Julius Caesar 9. Veracruz and 11A&B. Central PROTOCLASSIC PERIOD was soon forgotten when most of these treasures were of the time when the people of 27 Augustus Caesar proclaimed 3. Central Mexico America Southern Mesoamerica domi­ lent elsewhere (as anthropological or ethnographic ma­ this great metropolis established Oaxaca first Roman emperor The extent of Olmec presence designs. Clay sculpture, both Both stone sculpture and the ad­ nated by Izapan style a style in architecture, sculpture, Two important sculpture tradi­ Birth of Christ terial), and acquisition stopped. However, in the past two and influence in the Central hand-modeled and mold-made, mirable metal and lapidary work 100 B.C.-A.D.750 Teotihuacan: pottery and painting that was tions flourished in central Vera­ the first urban center; its influ­ A.D. decades the pendulum has swung back, with international Plateau of Mexico is evidenced presents a fascinating variety of of Central America are shown in emulated throughout Middle cruz during the Classic Period. ence felt throughout in the Preclassic works in this human and animal forms. these two galleries. The gold loan exhibitions from Colombia and Guatemala, the recent America, particularly during the Stone sculpture, closely related cast, demonstrating a high de­ Mesoamerica 200 A.D. Great Wall built in gallery. The fine hollow clay enrichment of our collection by important gifts, and the Early Classic Period (250-550 in style to that of Teotihuacan, The rich valley of Oaxaca, ornaments for which Costa Rica gree of technical skill. China figures that depict a "child- Catalogue No. 210. Ceremonial A.D.). has been found at the site of south of Veracruz, centers at the and Panama are especially truly notable agreement with the Honorable Nelson A. metate and mano (grinding stone) 250-550 EARLY CLASSIC PERIOD deity" are deceptively simple, hilltop acropolis of Monte Alban, famous represent a variety of at­ Catalogue No. 107. Standing God­ Tajin. Yokes, hachas and from Santa Lucia , 292-889 Range of dates re­ 330 Emperor Constantine Rockefeller and the Museum of Primitive Art under which and naturalistic. Olmec ceramic crowned with great pyramid tractive forms: for example, dess from Central Mexico. Teotihu­ palmas (forms associated with Guatemala Period IV-V 250-800 corded in the Long Count of establishes Constantinople sculpture comes mainly from Catalogue No. 20. Seated Baby re­ acan III. 250-650 A.D. Stone, with human, monkey, frog and bird. (Byzantium) as capital of the superb collection of that museum will come to the the ceremonial ball game) also temples and plazas built by the A.D. Basalt. 47" high. The Univer­ Maya stelae traces of green and light red paint Eastern Roman Empire Metropolitan in its entirety upon completion of the new sites in the central highlands. ported to be from Zumpango del Zapotec people. From Monte Most of the gold ornaments were sity Museum, Philadelphia. 400-500 Introduction of gold Rio, Guerrero. Middle Preclassic. over stucco, 36" high. Philadelphia reflect the Tajin style, which is Other clay figures in this gallery Alban tombs have come figural working into Central America wing to house it. 1150-550 B.C. Buff orange clay, 13" Museum of Art. distinctive for its elaborate scroll appear to be independent of 476 Fall of Rome high. Collection of Dr. and Mrs. 12. Toltec and later With the creation of a new Department of Primitive Art Olmec influences. Josue Saenz, Mexico City. The city of Tula, north of Mexico 550-950 LATE CLASSIC PERIOD 532-537 Hagia Sophia built in Regional specialization: Constantinople and the present exhibition we have not only come full circle City, was, according to tradition, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Yucatan, 4. Post-Olmec founded by the Toltecs in the but more than redeemed a pledge made in our Annual Highland and Lowland Maya 622 Moslem Religion founded Here, a late or post-Olmec style 9th Century. The warrior kings of Report for 1883, wherein the President, John Taylor John­ •692 Earliest genealogical refer­ by Mohammed, Prophet of which has, as yet, no accepted Tula brought about a political Islam ences on Mixtec codices son, stated: "The antiquities of our own continent should name or clearly defined center, and cultural resurgence of 838 Establishment of first 800 Holy Roman Empire form a prominent feature in an American Museum, and we can be seen in the developing Central Mexico, after the fall of dynasty at Tilantongo, Mixteca founded by Charlemagne are charged with a special duty to make here a Museum of styles of highland and lowland Teotihuacan. The impact of the 856-1168 City of Tula old American art for the study of American scholars as Guatemala and of the southern, Toltec Empire was felt as far away as the Yucatan Peninsula, eastern, and central parts of 950-1200 well as scholars from abroad." where Toltec people occupied Mexico. The large freestanding Catalogue No. 52. Colossal Head EARLY POSTCLASSIC PERIOD 1066 Norman conquest of the Maya city of Chichen ltz& Thomas P. F. Hoving head, nearly 5' high, reveals a from Monte Alto, Guatemala. Late Toltec militarists spread from England Preclassic, 550-100 B.C. Light gray and made it their capital. broad flat nose, heavy lips and Tula to Chichen Itza 1096 First Crusade to the volcanic stone, 59" high. Museo de Catalogue No. 250. Atlantean War­ Holyland turned-down mouth similar to la Municipalidad de La Democra- rior from the Temple of the Jaguars, cia, Guatemala. Before Cortes: Sculpture of Middle America explores the faces seen in galleries 2 and 3. Chichen I1za\ Early Postclassic. 1200-1520 1194-1221 Chartres Cathedral spectacular artistic production of Middle America span­ 987-1204 A.D. Gray limestone. LATE POSTCLASSIC PERIOD 5. Izapan 5 1260 dominates ning nearly three thousand years. The works of art in the 35 V high. Museo Nacional de Following the transitional post- Antropologia, Mexico City. Yucatan exhibition originated in the region from central Mexico to Olmec era, a new style of carv­ 1325 Aztecs settle on island in 1321 Death of Dante Panama and the West Indies. The objects represent ing appeared in southern Middle Lake Texcoco 1420-1436 Brunelleschi's Dome America. This style emphasized 13 & 14. Aztec 1440-68 Reign of Moctezuma I: achievements from the early Olmec civilization on up to built for the Florence Cathedral softer, curling lines and more In 1325 the people known as beginning of Aztec ascendency the Aztec Empire, flourishing at the time of the Spanish in Central Mexico 1453 Constantinople con­ elaborate compositions. Since the Aztecs settled on a marshy quered by the Turks 1451 Downfall of Mayapan Conquest. The exhibition is presented in a dozen sections island in Lake Texcoco and well-preserved examples of this League: Maya Yucatan thrown 1456 Gutenberg Bible—the to make chronological and geographical distinctions clear, style are found in the original there built their city of Tenochti­ into turmoil first machine-printed book but it is not so much a survey of Ancient Mexican and settings at the site of Izapa, on tlan, today the center of Mexico 1492-93 Columbus reaches 1508-1512 Frescos on the ceil­ the Pacific slope of Mexico near City. By 1500, the Aztecs the Antilles and founds ing of the Sistine Chapel Central American sculpture as it is an introduction to its painted by Michelangelo the Guatemala border, the style through war and political alli­ Hispaniola settlement brilliance and variety. 1513 The Prince written by ances had created an empire 1502 Columbus discovers has been named Izapan. Glyphs Machiavelli coast of Central America ancestral to Maya writing ap­ more extensive than the Toltec. Catalogue No. 277. Standing 1517 Beginning of the 1502-20 Reign of Moctezuma II pear on some of these monu­ Catalogue No. 60. Detail of Stela 10 This powerful empire brought Figure of Xipe Totec, god of Reformation spring and vegetation, from 1519 Cortes lands in Veracruz, This guide was prepared by Roberta Paine for the Department of ments and, while they still from , Guatemala. forth sculpture of every kind as 1519 Death of Leonardo da Protoclassic, 100 B.C.—100 A.D. Tepepan. Aztec, 1507 A.D. (?). Mexico remain mostly undeciphered, well as a rich variety of orna­ 1 Vinci Public Education, with the assistance of Dudley T. Easby, Jr., Black basalt, 48" high. Museo Naci­ Dark gray volcanic stone, 30 /2" 1521 Cortes defeats the Aztecs 1519-1521 Magellan circum­ Elizabeth K. Easby and John F. Scott of the Department of they do reveal dates, clustering onal de Arqueologia y Etnologia. ments in gold, semi-precious high. Museum of the American In­ and destroys their capital, navigates the globe Primitive Art, and designed by John Morning. between 35 B.C. and A.D. 36. Guatemala. stones, and mosaic. dian, Heye Foundation. Tenochtitlan