OLMEC ART: SCULPTURES, CRAFTS, ARCHITECTURE - ART - 2024

The Olmec art are the cultural manifestations and plastic produced by the Olmec civilization during the Preclassic period in Mesoamerican territories. Some authors consider that the Olmecs were the mother culture of all Mesoamerican civilizations, since they gave rise to the artistic style used by these cultures during their development.

The author Frank Kent, in his text The iconography of the Olmec Style (1997), established that Mesoamerica experienced more than three thousand years ago a style of art that spread geographically and whose origins date back to Olmec archeology.

Olmec sculpture known as El Rey. Source: Adrian Hernandez

Olmec art was characterized by using a shamanic belief system, which also had an ideological utility for political power. Likewise, to propose any premise about Olmec art, it is necessary to take into account its symbol system. This was expressed through incised images on a variety of media and objects.

Some researchers affirm that Olmec art was conservative, since from a thematic point of view its manifestations were restricted to the description of cosmology, ritual activities, supernatural inhabitants and political power (the latter approached from the relationship of the monarchs with deities).

It should be noted that most of the monumental art made under the parameters of the Olmec style functioned as a permanent record of ritual and shamanic activities. The symbolism and iconography present in these manifestations were inherited by all later cultures of Mesoamerica.

In addition, the ideological message transmitted by the Olmec symbol system remained in force as the matrix of religious and political power throughout the history of Mesoamerican civilizations.

In conclusion, Olmec art is considered the original style of all the civilizations of Mesoamerica. It was characterized by its shamanic and religious utility, as well as a strong ideological and political inclination that was kept recorded through its iconography.

Olmec sculpture

Olmec sculpture, like the rest of the artistic manifestations of this civilization, was characterized by its monumentality. The human figures were represented in a mystical way, since their features were not natural. In most cases, the faces were mixed with faunal elements.

For example, many monarchs were depicted with jaguar features. This means that the human figures were endowed with fantastic features, where the forms were distorted in order to symbolize the divine power of the members of the nobility.

Colossal sculptures were the best known sculptural expression of the Olmecs. Among them are the colossal head number six of San Lorenzo and the head number one known as the King.

The colossal heads

The colossal head known as the King was found in San Lorenzo, Tenochtitlán. Archaeologists have been able to establish that it may have been made between 1200 and 900 BC. As for its dimensions, it is almost three meters high and two meters wide. It is currently located in the Xalapa Museum.

On the other hand, the colossal head number 6 was made of basalt and has dimensions of 1.67 meters high, 1.26 meters thick and 1.41 meters wide. It has been calculated that its weight is between 8 or 10 tons. Currently it can be found in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

Olmec handicrafts

Olmec art has turned out to be a very complex phenomenon for researchers and archaeologists. Although many artisanal items from this period have been found, it is sometimes difficult to properly categorize them as an Olmec manifestation. This happens due to the age of the pieces and the dispersion of their location.

However, it can be said that most of the crafts of this culture were composed of small statuettes made of jade. These pieces were used to perform rituals and offerings. They were also used in the houses of common people, who prayed to him depending on their needs.

Tuxtla statuette

Among her small crafts, the Tuxtla Statuette stands out, a small 16-centimeter object made of jadeite. It is a round piece that represents a person squatting, which wears a mask similar to the face of a duck (specifically a bird of the region: the Tuxtlas).

Statuette of Tuxtla. Source: Adrian Hernandez

Around this figure are carved 76 glyphs, which have been cataloged as a type of writing called Epi-Olmec. This statuette is one of the few specimens that shows the writing system of the Olmec culture.

The Tuxtla statuette was found in 1902 by a peasant who was carrying out agricultural tasks in the town of La Mojarra. It is currently located in the Dumbarton Oaks mansion (Washington).

Olmec architecture

Most sources agree that Olmec architecture was characterized by its monumental size and its ability to integrate with the environment. The structure of its buildings followed the pyramidal parameters and had a rectangular base that represented the ceremonial center.

Most of the Olmec constructions were made with clay. The Olmecs not only built pyramids, but also built a drainage system and pioneered the inauguration of a field for the ball game. Currently the pyramid of La Venta and that of San Lorenzo are preserved.

Likewise, the Olmec architectural system is considered the first example of an organized and planned architectural distribution. This culture stood out for creating a series of squares and foundations that constitute an incipient urbanism.

Pyramid of La Venta and Pyramid of San Lorenzo

The pyramid of La Venta is about thirty meters high and about 130 meters in diameter. It was made of clay and is characterized by being surrounded by several smaller constructions. Inside its basement, three tombs have been found; one of them contained a monolithic sarcophagus.

On the other hand, the pyramid of San Lorenzo was one of the first ceremonial centers of the Olmec civilization. Its structure is two kilometers long by one kilometer wide and is accompanied by a set of artificial mounds that were complemented by numerous lagoons intended to provide water during the dry season.

References

1. Blomster, J. (2005) Olmec pottery production and export in ancient Mexico. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from science.sciencemag.org
2. Flannery, K. (2005) Implications of new petrographic analysis for the olmec "mother culture" model. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from National Acad Sciences.
3. Kent, F. (1997) The iconography of the Olmec style. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from Famsi.org
4. Magni, C. (2014) The Olmec Thought System. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org.mx
5. SA (sf) Olmec art. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
6. Tomasini, M. (sf) Geometric order and proportion in the art of the Olmec Culture. Retrieved on November 29, 2019 from Palermo education: Palermo.edu