Rachel
Native Americans regarded death as an important part of their culture and identity and often performed intricate rituals for funerals. Such rituals included the use of ceremonial vessels, many of which were buried alongside the deceased. In a lower Mississippian area, archaeological digs uncovered a type of ceremonial pottery: usually small and squat, these clay jars had thick rims, often decorated with cross-hatching, lines and “curvilinear, geometric or bird motifs”. The ceremonial vessel pictured below epitomizes this specific type of pottery; only six inches tall, this piece displays the geometric unity so common in this Mississippian area (i.e. the textured rim and a cross-hatched background) as well as a carving of a bird on the front. The avian symbol could represent a variety of meanings: the symbol of the tribe perhaps, or maybe even the spirit animal of the artist.
The curved U-shaped frame around the bird carving repeats at least on the left side of the vessel, and one may assume this frame continues around the entire piece. Inside the carved U-shape, the sharp, undecorated lines of the bird indicate that the representation of the bird was not meant to be ornamental, but rather to simply convey the notion of a bird, as texture exists only on the background. The use of clay for this vessel, rather than wood or shell, demonstrates that the artist intended this vessel to be used often.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Image Cited
Universal Art Images UCS. Website accessed Aug. 29, 2012. <http://coursecontent.westhillscollege.com/Art%20Images/CD_01/DU2500/index9.htm>.
Native Americans regarded death as an important part of their culture and identity and often performed intricate rituals for funerals. Such rituals included the use of ceremonial vessels, many of which were buried alongside the deceased. In a lower Mississippian area, archaeological digs uncovered a type of ceremonial pottery: usually small and squat, these clay jars had thick rims, often decorated with cross-hatching, lines and “curvilinear, geometric or bird motifs”. The ceremonial vessel pictured below epitomizes this specific type of pottery; only six inches tall, this piece displays the geometric unity so common in this Mississippian area (i.e. the textured rim and a cross-hatched background) as well as a carving of a bird on the front. The avian symbol could represent a variety of meanings: the symbol of the tribe perhaps, or maybe even the spirit animal of the artist.
The curved U-shaped frame around the bird carving repeats at least on the left side of the vessel, and one may assume this frame continues around the entire piece. Inside the carved U-shape, the sharp, undecorated lines of the bird indicate that the representation of the bird was not meant to be ornamental, but rather to simply convey the notion of a bird, as texture exists only on the background. The use of clay for this vessel, rather than wood or shell, demonstrates that the artist intended this vessel to be used often.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Image Cited
Universal Art Images UCS. Website accessed Aug. 29, 2012. <http://coursecontent.westhillscollege.com/Art%20Images/CD_01/DU2500/index9.htm>.