Pottery and Textile History

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Pottery and Textile History

• Including
• Greek
• Native Americans
• Mayan and Aztec
• African
• Presented by Aliysia Flocco,
• Derek Craig and Eamon OToole

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Greek Pottery

• Early geometrical style called Black Dipylon
  had extensive use of black varnish with geometric
  bands of animals
• horses, goats, and geese
• Years later, human figures appeared in work.
  Large funeral vases had images of warriors,
  chariots or a funeral scene. Elements of horses
  and chariots were drawn next to each other
  without perspective.
• Later on, mythological ideas and representations
  became predominant in their work.
• Black Figure Pottery developed in the 7th
  century. They were silhouetted figures with a
  great deal of detail. Animals were also
  represented as black figures.
• During this era for the first time artists began
  signing their work.

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Greek Pottery cont.

• In 520 BC, red figure techniques developed
  becoming more popular then black silhouetted
  figures. The figures had exaggerated gestures and
  somewhat awkward/uncomfortable poses. Artists
  started to add in details of hair and jewelry.
• The Hellenistic period happened around the 4th
  century. Figures of people were replaced by
  simpler things such as dolphins and rosettes. It
  was not a popular style.
• Greek vases were mainly made on a wheel. Some
  were handmade with coiling. Some were also
  constructed in parts and later put together with
  slip before firing them in the kiln.
• Artist started to inscribe their work.
• Greek vases were used for mixing, storage,
  transportation of items, and drinking/eating
  from.

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Greek Textiles

• Textiles have been used since the start of the
  Hellenistic period.
• Ancient Greek clothing was made from wool or
  linen. It was made with rectangular pieces of
  cloth that was secured at the shoulder with a pin
  and the waist with a belt/sash. Mens tunics were
  worn knee length, womans were worn ankle length.
  

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Native American Pottery

• Can be traced back to A.D. 500, when the history
  of the Hopi begins.
• Hopis first pieces were gray with crude black
  decoration.
• White pottery appeared with black geometric
  decorations, named Anasazi Black-on-White
  pottery.
• Wood was used for firing technique
• Great Drought (1276 1299) brought changes.
  Anastazi influenced the pottery color (yellows
  and oranges) and geometric designs.
• Coal became primary fuel for firing.
• The Sikyati used life-form and nature designs.
• mammals, birds, reptiles, rain clouds, stars and
  sun symbols.
• Spanish missionaries (1628)
• influenced pottery.
• Coal was replaced with
• sheep dung for fuel.

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Native American Pottery Overview

• Traditional pottery is earth-toned fired clay
• Intricate painted designs using black, red and
  white are typical
• Native American traditions have been passed from
  generation to generation making their pottery
  unique.
• Everything is done by hand, never by machine.

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Native American Textile

• Dating back to1540 - Spanish war with the Navajo
• Francisco Vasquez De Coronado invaded Southwest
  America for riches
• Earliest fragments of Navajo weaving were found
  in Canon Del Muerte (Canyon of the Dead)
• One complete blanket was found next to skeletons
  with crushed skulls from Spanish rifles

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Native American Textile continued

• Traditionally include
• Blankets, belts, kilts, and sashed
• Made from native cotton dyed using natural
  sources
• Best known
• Navajo Indian blankets and rugs

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Mayan and Aztec Pottery

• Pre-Colombian art included Mexico, central
  America, Caribbean, and South America. All the
  art had linear lines, and three-dimensional
  ceramics.
• Maya was the most advanced in culture. They
  practiced their hieroglyphic writing and
  astronomy. Mayan art focuses around incorporating
  natural things like rain, fertility, and
  agriculture.
• The art produced by the Aztecs was very
  expressive, decorating skulls heads and creating
  statues.
• Mayan ceramics used for drinking/eating, storage,
  and commemoration.

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Mayan and Aztec Textiles

• Womens clothing referred to as Huipil (still
  used in Mexico), a loose rectangular cotton cloth
  with a hole in the middle. It was white with
  colorful cross-stripping. Clothing had great
  cultural meaning. They thought that clothing
  could transform a person.
• Aztec women wove textiles out of imported cotton.
  They also embroidered designs into the cloth and
  painted/stamped motifs using animal and vegetable
  dyes.

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African Pottery

• Terracotta is the longest surviving of African
  sculptures. In the 5th century when they were
  first being made out of wood. Later in the 12th
  century they were made with metal.
• Pottery incorporated rural scenes, animals, and
  people. The art had an earthy quality.
• African sculptures had dramatically distorted
  human figures and legs and arms that were
  positioned in dramatic and expressive ways.
• Pottery style and design has not changed a lot
  over the years. Current pottery is made almost
  the same as it was centuries ago.

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African Textiles

• In the ancient times, hair from animals was woven
  to insulate and protect homes.
• Hair, along with fibers from various plants and
  trees, were used to create bedding, blankets,
  clothing, and wall, window and door hangings. 
• As textiles became more sophisticated, they were
  used as currency for trading, as a form of money.
  
• Cloth was a convenient form of money because it
  was used by everybody, fairly durable and easily
  dividable.The width of cloth strip was usually
  standardized in each region of Africa. These be
  used to serve as the unit of value.

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African Textiles continued

• Among the Manding, Tukolor and peoples in
  Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso, weaving
  restricted to members of a hereditary group.
  Weaving was believed to bring the weaver in
  contact with dangerous spiritual forces.
• In African society, religious and symbolic
  significance of weaving is explained
• Each stage of spinning and weaving thread was a
  symbolic analogy to human reproduction and
  resurrection - "the making of cloth symbolizes
  the multiplication of mankind." by a Dogon Sage
• Many of the ancient designs and weaving methods
  are used today and remain an important part of
  African lifestyles.

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• SAMPLES OF AFRICAN TEXTILES
• (2) Kuba cloth originated from the Democratic
  Republic of Congo (also known as Zaire). This
  textile is tightly woven using strands from
  raffia palm leaves.
• (3) Batik cloth includes patterns by applying
  melted wax on the fabric.  A design is drawn onto
  the fabric. Colors are applied one top of the
  other to create a multi-colored effect.
• (1) Khasa are heavy woolen striped blankets woven
  by the Fulani of Mali.
• (4) Mud cloth originated from Mali and was once
  worn by hunters.
• (5) Kente cloth is made by the Fante people of
  Ghana. Authentic Kente cloth is typically woven
  in 4-inch wide strips. Kente patterns have
  religious, political, and even financial
  significance.
• (6) Korhogo cloth is hand-woven by the Senufo
  people of the Ivory Coast. The 5-inch strips of
  mud painted on the cloth to create patterns of
  animals, men in ceremonial dress, buildings, or
  geometric designs.
• (7) Manjaka cloth is woven in 7-inch wide strips
  that are sewn together Its distinguished by its
  intricate geometric patterns. Manjaka originated
  from Guinea-Bissau and has complex designs.

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Asian Pottery

• Can be traced back 11,000 years to the
  Palaeolithic era. Older pottery had charcoal and
  bone mixed in it.
• One of the oldest forms dating back to the
  Neolithic period.
• Pottery from China is traditionally made in big
  numbers in factories. They produce a variety of
  things ranging from pottery to figures of people,
  animals, houses, and boats.
• Japan imported porcelain from China to make their
  creations. Most of their work was glazed in a
  simple green shade. Unglazed stoneware was
  popular for funerary jars, storage jars, and
  kitchen pots.
• Kilns that helped improve their work were called
  six old kilns Shigaraki, Tamba, Bizen,
  Tokoname, Echizen, and Seto.
• The first Thai Pottery can date back to the 9th
  century.
• The ceramics began with the Khmer Empire high
  quality work in mass quantities. Most of the
  pottery glazed brown, wood-ash, dark jade green,
  or olive green (some whites, yellows, and grays
  found).