The Incas

The Inca

http://www.discover-peru.org/inca-art-forms/

The more gold, the closer to God

The best example of pottery produced before the days of the Inca Empire is found in the ceramic produced by the Moche or Mochica culture that thrived from 100 to 700 AD in the northern Peruvian coast.

The Sun or Inti was the most important god in the Inca empire and since gold shone like the sun it was the metal that was used the most in religion ceremonies. Therefore they made vases and plates to serve food to the gods, jewelry for the nobility, knifes known as Tumis for sacrificing animals and performing surgery, they decorated their temples with sheets of gold and made altars of solid gold.

It is commonly questioned as to how the Incas were able to develop such an exquisite architecture without the use of the wheel and modern tools. Their buildings have withstood five centuries in an earthquake prone zone and provided the foundations of many current buildings.

Inca Empire Map

Inca Empire

Traditional Clothing

The Maya

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_art

Maya temple at Tikal

Palenque temple

Sculpture of K'inich Janaab Paka

http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_art.htm

Mayan Empire

The Mayan Traditional Clothing

The Aztecs

Aztec Art

http://infinity.cos.edu/art/strong/module/precol4/toaztec/

Aztec sculpture is oftentimes massively powerful. This 8 foot high stone work depicts Coatlicue (Serpent Skirt), an earth goddess who gave birth to the Aztec tribal deity, Huitzilopochtli. The pair of serpent heads rising above Coatlicue's body symbolize the blood that gushed forth when her daughter (the moon) and her sons (the stars) beheaded her, jealous of the new godly offspring in her womb.

The Aztecs worshipped numerous deities, most required sacrificial victims. Xipe Totec, the god of spring renewal, have been particularly fond of victims who were flayed alive. Habitually, priests would wear the skin of the victim until it rotted off; the emergence of the priest's body from the dried skin symbolized the birth of new maize.

The Aztec calendar set out the mathematical formulas according to which the whole universe was organized and which governed the actions of men and Gods alike. The calendar is actually two things. The Xiupohualli (count of days) and the Tonalpohualli (Count of Destiny). The calendar had to be consulted through the priests before doing any activity whether it was farming, warfare, religion or commerce.

Much of Aztec art revolves around the notions of sacrifice and the rebirth of natural forces. Heart containers were important part in their ceremonies; this is a sculpture of The Recumbent Jaguar.

The Aztec Empire