Art of the central Andes

The art of the central Andes is the artistic production which takes place with the Peru and in Bolivia before the arrival of Europeans.

Chronology

One can divide the period précolombienne in the the central Andes (Bolivia and Peru) in many manners. This one is one of most frequent:

lithic Time : 10.000 - 3000 av. JC
Précéramique , or formative old: 3000 - 1800 av JC
initial Time : 1800 - early 1000 av JC
Horizon : 1000 - 200 av. JC (Chavin culture)
early intermediate Time : 200 av JC - 500 a. JC (cultures Paracas, Nazca, Mochica, Recuay, Pucara…)
average Horizon : 500 - 900 (Huari and Tiahuanaco)
late intermediate Time : 900 - 1400 with (cultures Chimu, Chancay, Ica)
late Horizon : v.1438 - 1534 (domination of the INCA empire)

Geographical and climatic conditions

The central Andes, which gather Bolivia and Peru, represent the place where the Cordillère is most important. The landscape is organized in three parts: a coastal fringe more or moin narrow, the cordillera (average altitude: 2000-3000m, but there exist tops much higher) and the sierra. The climate comprises two seasons, the southern summer (our winter), with abundant rains safe over the coast, and the southern winter, which corresponds to one dry season.

In edge of the cordillera, the more or less broad band of coast corresponds to an arid desert, intersected with valleys created by about fifty rivers resulting from the cordillera by the cast iron of the glaciers. If the areas close to the bed of the river shelter vegetation, beyond, only one vast desert and rather cold extent extends. Quasi the absence of rain involved several adaptations of the populations, in particular the development of techniques of collecting of water for the irrigation, and an important fishing.

The mountain is also inhabited and exploited, furrowed many rivers which run for the majority towards the Amazonian slope, and little towards the Pacific. The town of Lima, to approximately 1000 m of altitude, is a modern establishment close to an old archeological site in altitude. Altitude comprises a certain interest for agriculture, the sunning being stronger than in the steepsided valleys. The culture and the dwellings thus developed in height in order to find pastures more accessibles.
The Andean valley can sometimes culminate with more than 4000 m height, or only growth a weak vegetation of snap rings, which is used as pasture with the LAMA S and with the Vigogne S. Some cultures of tubers, like potatoes, can however be undertaken up to 5000 m.
Modification of the occupation of space with the arrival of the Spaniards, which completely modified the occupation of space, the viceroy of Tolède obliging the populations to go down at the bottom from the valley, in cities built on the model of Spanish town planning, in order to better control the populations.

The sierra, or Sierra da selva, consists of a forest which climbing an abrupt slope. Occupied by the Andean populations since the incas, it gave place to the construction of agricultural terraces, like those visible with Machu Picchu.

Néolithisation: preceramic period

The preceramic period is marked by a sedentarisation, the appearance of agriculture and the domestication of certain animals. On the site of Kotosh, a temple with the crossed hands, thus called because of reliefs carved in the shape of pairs of arms crosseds, seems to be started towards 2450 av. JC. Several phases of re-use of the site were highlighted, the old reliefs being each time preserved under sand being used as foundation with more recent constructions. Relief, though synopsis, watch all the same a concern of exactitude and respect of the forms.

The initial time (1800 - 1000 av. JC)

It is at this period that appears ceramics and the weaving loom. The number of great ceremonial centers strongly increases.

Ceramics

Its appearance seems especially related to a utility goal, for the cooking of the new agricultural produce in particular. However, one knows also some female figurines, like the Venus de Curayacu , of the national museum of Peru, dated from II^e before our era. This female character presents himself in a frontal and hieratic attitude, the arms plated on the body, the decoration summarizing himself with incisions.

Structure and town planning

In architecture are the traces of a sedentariness more marked, as prove it important villages, with a religious architecture more complex than previously. Two types of architectural structures are used:

structures out of U, consisted of a pyramid and a plaza
structures with rectangular punts forms and a plaza downwards.

The site of Cerro Sechin is one of the most important monumental centers of Peru, dated from thousand-year-old I^er front JC. It uses this second plan.

Stone sculpture

It is in Serro Sechin mainly that were put at the day the principal manifestations of the sculpture of this period: engraved flagstones particular characters with the gun. Of profile, they present a chest and an eye seen of face, feet seen top, and two left hands. Various types of characters can be distinguished: warriors armed in procession, sacrificed prisoners of the head of which leave the floods of blood… Does this military representation of victorious warriors correspond to a mythological account? With an historical event (what however seems very rare in the Andes)? One notices the representation of head-trophies, represented already according to the Andean tradition: closed eyes, in the shape of crescent, mouths grimaçantes (symbol of dead), hair untied (mark of humiliation).

The old horizon (1000 - 200 av JC): culture of Chavin (discussed dates: 1200/800 - 300 av JC?)

Civilization

See also: Chavín

The culture of Chavin develops in all Peru, through a theocratic system centered on the town of Chavin de Huantar. The control of the trade represents a revolution in the life of the villages of mountain, very dependant on the coastal food products.

Style of Chavin

Very complex, the style used in works concerned with the culture of Chavin, like in certain coastal productions, is made to disorientate the spectator and to transport it towards other realities. One notes in particular the replacement of certain human factors (hair, moustache, cord, hair) by animals, generally of the snakes. A strong inspiration of the tropical area, due to an important bond with the Amazonia and its cultures, seems to have course. The iconography frequently used in the culture of Chavin gathers:

of the divinities carrying sceptre
of the predatory animals
of the composite beings (animal man/)
of the Shamans in metamorphosis

The site of Chavin de Huantar

Located at 3180 m of altitude, on banks of Mosna, Chavin de Huantar was to be an important ceremonial center, which perhaps sheltered an oracle and was used in any case as place of pilgrimage. This center attracted not only the pilgrims, but also the merchants, and was in the center of an important trade with peripheral civilizations.

The city is directed towards the four cardinal points, and sheltered at least 5000 people, of which priests, servants and farmers. Formed around a great place, surrounded by platforms and an old temple (Castillo), in the shape of truncated pyramid, it takes again the type out of U already developed at the initial period.

Sculpture

This art evolves/moves while becoming complicated. The artists of Chavin test a predilection for the very flat relief and engraving, although there also exists of the round bump. The figures are largely stylized, the simplified and multiplied details, and a strong bilateral symmetry marks works. The artists use the process of the " bands modulaires" , i.e. they tend to reduce the elements to bands of equal width. " substitutions métaphotiques" (replacement of element by animals) also courses have.

In general, the sculpture is integrated into architecture, as proves it the monolith of Lanzon , located in the old temple of Chavin, and high of 4,53 Mr. This gigantic monolith carved on three faces was in the center of the temple of Chavin. Its form can point out that of a stick to be excavated, and would then leave think that the being engraved above guarantees a good harvest; but of others made a bringing together with a dagger transpiercing the ground. At all events, a more or less anthropomorphic representation marks the surface of the stone. This “old God” of Chavin is represented under the frome of a biped character, with hooks, a boor and snakes as a hair, an iconography which could draw its source in the Amazonian world.

Always to the temple of Chavin, one can announce the presence of head-key, the beings with mouth of jaguar, typical of the statuary of Chavin which are integrated into the wall. It is representation in round bump, rather rare in the art of this period.

The Stele Raimondi , from the museum of Lima, also comes it from Chavin de Huantar, but it presents an important iconographic innovation compared to the monolith of Lanzon. Out of stone, high of approximately three meters, it introduces a new character, the “new god” of Chavin, known as " god souriant" , or " god with the bâtons". In biped position, with claws with the hands and the feet and hooks spouting out of its mouth, it holds two sticks or sceptres indeed. With the top of its head its cap is represented, which normally falls into its back, and seems made up of overlapping human heads the ones in the others, inviting to a double reading.

On the obelisk of Tello , also with the museum of Lima, it is not any more one to be anthropo-zoomorphe which is represented, but a couple of caiman S of the body of which leave the plants and the beings of the jungle, probably referring to a myth of Genèse.

Ceramics

The Ceramic as the fabric is a medium which conveys the Iconographie of Chavin towards the areas far away from the principal city. The ceramics shapes most frequently recontrées are globular vases with handle-neck in clamp, and bottles with high coll In general, surfaces are dark colors: gray, brown black or, and a decoration the cat-like ones, flowers or birds are incised, engraved or modelled.

Cultures depending on the culture of Chavin

Cupisinique

The ceramics of Cupisinique undoubtedly existed before the blossoming of the site of Chavin. Modelled, it presents also an incised decoration and handle-necks in clamp. The iconographic repertory is very broad, and it is not rare to find there representations anthropo-zoomorphes pointing out those of Chavin.

Paracas

The culture of Paracas is another culture which was very influenced by Chavin at its beginnings, even if a second phase is largely distinguished some. In general, this first ceramics presents a Polychromie very contrasted, and the iconography is very marked by that of Chavin.

The old intermediate period (200 av JC - 500 a. JC)

The culture Paracas (300 av. JC - 0)

Ceramics

Ceramics takes various forms, while its decoration, generally geometrical, consists of bright colors posed after cooking and separated by incisions. As one announced above, the first phase of ceramics paracas is very influenced by the culture of Chavin, but she also knows a second phase which moves away from there more or less.

Funerary culture

The funerary elements constitute the most original part of the art of Paracas: the bodies are placed in fetal position, wrapped several layers of painted or embroidered fabrics, the mantos. The unit is named fardo funerary . Two great distinct phases overlap: Paracas Cavernas , where the tombs take the shape of bottles pansues, and Paracas Necropolis , or the fardo are placed in baskets with jewels, in the center of a tomb in the shape of underground house.

The culture Nazca (100 - 600)

See also: Civilization nazca

Ceramics

The polychrome pottery of Nazcas mainly takes again the iconographic topics of Paracas, but a fundamental technical innovation appears there: the colors from now on are applied before cooking, and either separated by incisions. The typology of ceramics also grows rich, of spherical vases with necks connected by a handle bridge (which existed already at Paracas), of goblets, bowls, pots, earthenware jars, anthropomorphic containers… The colors, posed in flat tint, are generally delimited by a black contour, formant various reasons decorative, with a great dislocation in the figures.

Géoglyphes

The géoglyphes are complex networks traced on the ground by removing the surface layer in the desert, which leaves a clear trace. One finds networks of right-hand sides and spirals as well as of the animalist reasons, like whales, hummingbirds… These gigantic drawings are visible only sky or since a height, and remain rather enigmatic. It seems that they gave place to ritual processions, with breaking of potteries at certain “strategic” places, but their significance remains prone to guarantee. Certain researchers have advanced the assumption of a relationship with astrology.

Culture Recuay (200 av JC - 700 ap JC)

The Recuay culture develops in an area close to Chavin.

Ceramics

The phase " is located; classique" Recuay pottery between 300 and 600. Two tendencies have course then:

the repetition of stylized animals, hieratic characters carrying of the sceptres, heads and abstract reasons
vases modelled with scenes with multiple characters (presentation, hierogamy, processions…) and varied polychromy.

Stone sculpture

As in art Chavin, the sculptures associated with the Recuay culture are in general associated with an architecture. The large spherical eyes of the characters are a characteristic feature.

Ugly culture (100 av JC - 700 ap JC)

See also: Ugly

The Moche culture is most important of the coastal region to the old intermediary. Since its capital of Ugly, in the valley of the Ugly river, with a few kilometers of the current town of Trujillo, it dominates a rather agricultural area, thanks to rivers going down towards the Pacific. It is about a very warlike company, which gives a big role to the war and confrontations. Ritual wars are sometimes organized to get prisoners to be sacrificed. Arts are particularly refined, as well in the field of the pottery as in goldsmithery and sculpture.

Structure

The architectural elements characteristic of this culture are the pyramids truncated ( huaca ) in adobe (believed stone, material generally used in the coastal construction industries), the such Pyramide of the sun , or Huaca del Sol of Ugly, which measures 228 X 156 X 18 Mr. His five bodies superimposed, in withdrawal the ones compared to the others, support a pyramid with six degrees with the top (H: 23 m), by making a ceremonial and funerary site (royal tombs) exceptional.

Ceramics

The Mochica culture is the only culture which creates true complex scenes with interaction of multiple characters, in particular in its funerary pottery. The specialists distinguish five different, recognizable phases with the shape of the handle-neck in clamp. The decorations are varied, between modelling, the relief, the incision, painting, or the drawing the line, the whole in general let us tons wine dregs on cream. Sometimes, these potteries can also be black (phase 3) or with gray or polychrome slips (phase 5). The evolution takes place towards more realism, of life and a greater complexity, and the pottery mochica is the first which leaves to the conquest the expression (characters laughing). The topics rich and are thus varied: cat-like, warriors carrying round shield, mass of weapon, cotton tunic and helmet, or Shamans mastiquant of the coke mingled with lime.

Metallurgy

The metallurgy mochica technically is advanced in Peru. Gold, the money and copper are used, often combined in a metal named tumbaga , to which an aspect gilded by a chemical treatment is given (acid of vegetable origin). The artists mochicas also practice the gilding and the silvering of copper, by dissolution of the noble metal in a corrosive solution where the part is plunged. The incrustation of other metals, semi-precious stones, or shells is also frequent. Many techniques of working can be mentioned: cutting, hammering, incision, embossage, pushed back, casting in simple moulds or with lost wax, granulation, braiding… The assemblies are carried out by folding, then by welding.

All this to produce very varied parts, with anthropomorphic iconographies or zoomorphes, like funeral masks, gantelets, collars, the pectoral ones, jewels… Earrings out of gold and invaluable stones (turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spondyle, lapis lazuli) preserved at the museum of the gold of Lima are particularly famous. The reason represented in mosaic is a warrior with nozzle of bird.

It is also necessary to mention the rather recent discovery in the huaca of Sipán of the tomb of the lord of Sipán, which concealed many objects of goldsmithery. The room arranged in a pyramid of adobe with successive enlargings contained extremely rich ornaments: jewels of gold, money and turquoise, bent shroud of gilded copper plates, wood coffin… Beside the warrior were various characters of the two sexes and a dog.

Culture Pucara (200 av. JC - 200 a. JC)

This civilization develops around the lake Titicaca.

Structure

Architecture will pucara is very important in this which it precedes the architecture of Tiahuanaco, with its apparatus of large blocks of rectangular stones good drawn up

Sculpture

Human and animal figures in Ronde-bosse are the principal demonstrations of the sculpture will pucara. In general, the forms follow contours of the block, registered in a rectangle, but they are softened, round. The topic of hunting for the heads is often represented in round bump, but also on the steles and the flagstones carved like the stele of the flash, which precisely comes from the site of Pucara.

The average Horizon (500 - 900)

The Tiahuanaco culture

See also: Tiahuanaco

The culture of Tiahuanaco is localized in the Bolivian highlands. If its activity starts as of the old intermediary, it reaches its greater development only at the average horizon, where it develops Huari civilization parallel to. This empire touches at the same time the south of Peru, Bolivia and the north of Chile.

The capital is the site of Tiahuanaco, located at very high-altitude, between La Paz and the lake Titicaca, in an area with the very cold climate where only one rare vegetation pushes. Agriculture is thus adapted, with typically Andean productions like the culture of tubers or the breeding of spangled and the alpaca. A flourishing trade is organized, of the caravans on the basis of the high plateaus towards the Pacific, thus allowing strong interaction between coast and high plateau.

The site of Tiahuanaco

The site of Tiahuanaco is a center civico-monk or remain the buildings built into hard. The work of the stone (architecture and sculpture) is rather important, of the blocks being assembled with sharp joints, with bronze cramps, or by tenons, mortises and notches. The use of this technique, as well as other features, constitute a kind of return to the old sources, in particular Chavin.

Akapana is a natural hill, increased so as to form a pyramid with degrees of 210 m side and 15 m height. It comprises a temple semi-underground with a court flattened with head-tenons (recall of Chavin), and a gigantic monolith in andesite of 3x4m, the door of the sun, which is decorated reliefs motrant of the divinities with sceptres as on the Raimondi stele. The palate of the sarcophagi, as for him, comprises several rooms with roofs supported by pillars, and Pumapunku is a large quay level with blocks decorated with mouldings, geometrical niches and reasons.

Sculpture

The sculpture of Tiahuanaco as that of Chavin is integrated into architecture. A clear stylistic evolution takes place, passing from a certain realism (curved lines and surfaces) to more fixed attitudes and more prismatic sculptures. The monolith Sandpapers, or the monolith El Fraile, pertaining to the site of Tiahuanaco, are examples of this style geometrized to the extreme, the figures remaining engoncées in the shape of column.

Ceramics

The most typical shape of pottery is the vase keru, a large goblet on widened board, often decorated with a head of puma in round bump and used for the drinkings. The decoration as for him is marked by an important polychromy (red, blue, gray, ocher, black), with reasons geometrical (Greek) and illustrated (pumas, condors, men) inspired for the Nazca iconography.

The Huari empire

See also: Huari

The hegemony of the Huari empire is parallel to that of Tiahuanaco. First of all quoted vassal, then émancipée, Huari develops an immense empire between 600/700 and 1000/1100, with important regional administrative centers characterized by a rigorous planning. Its culture remaining very close to Tiahuanaco, one witnesses a cultural unification of the central Andes, and Huari ensures the diffusion on the coast of the Tiahuanaco style.

Structure and town planning

the city of Huari With its five square kilometers of ruins, Huari was a very large city, comprising at least 20.000 inhabitants. It was divided into specialized districts, such that of the potters, the goldsmiths, or of the stone masons…

If architecture huari remains much less interesting than that of Tianhuanaco, this culture expresses however great innovations in town planning, than she invents almost. The site of Piqillaqta, measuring 1,2 X 1,6 km, is one of the examples best preserved. Marking the limit of the southern expansion of the Huari field, this city is organized on a rectangular level surrounded by a 3-4 m broad peripheral wall. The parts are surrounded by corridors but there do not exist main doors, the walls and scales being used like lanes. The built-up areas are next to great empty places, and many warehouses are planned for food.

Other productions

The culture huari is at the origin of a ceramic production, whose reasons take again the iconography of Tiahuanaco. The stone sculpture remains rare, in spite of the few statues appearing men or animals taken in prisms known. As for fabrics, manufactured out of wool of LAMA and alpaca, some coming from the coastal region could be preserved. A very thorough geometrization there is noted, and the technique used is that of the Tapisserie.

The recent intermediary (900 - 1400)

The culture Chimu (800 - 1466)

See also: Chimú

Located at the north of the Péruvienne coast this culture is posed at the same time in continuatrice and restorer of the culture mochica. The great power of the kingdom is based on a rich culture, which benefits from the irrigation and thus changes the desert coast into irrigated coast. One distinguishes three phases in the chronology:

old Chimu (800 - 1000)

average Chimu (1000 - 1200)

recent Chimu (1200 - 1466)

However, only the third phase, which corresponds to the unification and with the expansion of the kingdom starting from the capital of chanchan is well documented.

Structure

One knows imposing raw brick constructions (adobe), each Chimu sovereign making build a palate since, as at Incas later, he did not inherit the good of his predecessors. Surrounded by a double or triple enclosure of high walls with a single opening and niches furnished with wood statues, these palates generally broke up into three parts: administrative (in which one penetrated in first and which included/understood warehouses, kitchens, various parts perhaps being used as audiences…), a more private central sector, with the place of burial (a low platform in the shape of truncated pyramid) and places of life, some warehouses and courtrooms, finally, the place of the domestic activities, without important structures. As frequently on the coast, the majority of the parts did not have a roof. The decoration was composed of reliefs cut out in the showing coating of the birds, the fishermen, fish…

Goldsmithery

Very refined and extremely famous, goldsmithery is currently known mainly via the funerary material. A recurring reason and enough characteristic are the presence of a spilt almond eye. Cinnabar, a red dye, was applied to certain parts to raise the value and to mark of it a contrast with gold, and of the invaluable and semi-precious stones (lapis lazuli, cut crystal…) could also be encrusted. The style was marked by an important bilateral symmetry, and a character frequently returned: the divinity namlap, characterized by a cap in half-moon. It appeared in particular on splendid a tumi (sacrificial knife), unfortunately destroyed during the XXe century.

The Chancay culture

This original culture was installed in the valley of Chancay, in the north of Lima. It produced in particular vases with geometrical decoration, of rather simple execution in general, and anthropomorphic statuettes with fabric clothing. Sometimes, the buried characters also carried ornaments of feathers.

The recent horizon (v.1438 - v.1534): the INCA culture

See the principal article: Art INCA

The recent horizon is marked by the domination of a culture: that of the INCA. Left the valley of Cuzco in the middle of the 15th century, he managed to make himself main very quickly of a vast empire (of the south of Colombia until the center of Chile) by a series of conquests. The centralized organization, with the creation and the adaptation of administrative centers, connected to each other by an impressive highway network, enables them to extend a very important influence in all Andes.

Structure and town planning

In spite of a rigorous planning of the sites, Incas never failed to adapt to the mountainous environment, as it the site of Machu Picchu proves, which comprised an agriculture in very in addition developed terrace to urban part with workshops, districts of populations on a side and the principal temples of the other. With Cuzco, the capital of the empire, less than 100.000 inhabitants lived, in a city whose principal buildings formed the drawing of a puma, which remains completely exceptional. Architecture as for it appears through monumental and austere buildings (little sculpture), which uses various types of stone apparatuses.

Goldsmithery

With the conquest of the Chimu empire in 1466, one witnesses a deportation of the goldsmiths, very famous, towards Cuzco. Few parts are currently preserved, even if the museum of the Branly quay can be prided on a silver statuette representing a character without glance, but of which the enormous earrings are characteristic of the INCA nobility.

Wood sculpture

More frequent than the stone sculpture, it appears in particular by ceremonial objects like the keru , of the containers zoomorphes supported by telamones (not to be confused with the keru of Tiahuanaco) and the pajcha , of the ritual equivocal. The woodcarving will be one of the rare arts continued for the colonial period, which induces difficulties of dating.

Ceramics

Ceramics is marked under the INCA by the appearance of various forms like the aryballe (large earthenware jar hung in the back) and the florero (with a long widened collar). The decorations are preferably geometrical, but there exist floral, animal and human reasons all the same.

Fabric

It is finally necessary to evoke the art of fabric, and in particular that of the tunics unku: two rectangular parts assemblies, bent and decorated with geometrical reasons ( tokapu ).

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