This exhibit focuses on ancient Mesoamerican ceramic figurines from the Olmec, Colima, and Nayarit cultures. These figurines are typical of those made during the Mesoamerican Formative period, which lasted from 1500 BCE until 250 CE, when small, solid ceramic figurines were hand-modeled rather than made using molds. The Nayarit and Colima cultures are part of the larger … [Read more...] about Ancient Mesoamerican Ceramic Figurines: by Akira Alves
The Huichol people are an indigenous culture from Western Mexico, and they are distinctive in that they were never conquered by the Spanish. Because they were not directly colonized, many of their ancient artforms and religious traditions have survived, although like all cultural practices, these have continued to change and develop through time. One type of traditional art … [Read more...] about Huichol Yarn-Painted Art by Alex Bohnert
The indigenous Maya peoples of Mexico and Central America have textile traditions stretching back millennia. These textile-making practices connect generations of families and communities through highly skilled processes of weaving, dyeing, brocading, and embroidery. The resulting textiles express a multitude of designs that help to identify Maya personhood, family, and … [Read more...] about Textiles of the Highland Maya Cultures of Guatemala by Julia Kidwell
These six small plaques each illustrates an image of a Mesoamerican god or goddess from an Aztec codex. While the brass and wooden plaques are 20th-century works by Aztec Mestizo artists, the images on them are accurate depictions of traditional Aztec codex paintings. A codex (plural: codices) is a form of book used to record history, mythological stories, and the calendar … [Read more...] about Mesoamerican Codex Images of Aztec Gods and Goddesses by Hannah Robinson and Kassidy Watts
These three projectile points all originated within what is now the state of Missouri. As they are each made of a typical, commonly acquired type of stone and they each assume readily identifiable types, they are not likely special points for ceremonial use. Because each assumes a regular, identifiable form, these were clearly made by practiced flintknappers who very … [Read more...] about Ancient Native American Projectile Points from Missouri by Cierra Carter