Animal Sculptures
Pre-Columbian Art
The animal sculptures in front of you were made in Ancient Latin America. They made images of animals in many ways: sculptures in clay, stone and wood; on clothing; and jewelry of jade, gold, and silver. They chose the animals that were important to them to use in their art. These animals have symbolic meanings. The jaguars are fierce and powerful, like their powerful rulers were. They had dogs as pets like we do, so they included them in their art. They thought dogs guided the souls of people who had died. They placed these dog sculptures in the tombs of people who had died. Camels were used for transportation. Llamas provided them with wool for clothes. Some of the animal sculptures they made did not look real, they combined different parts of animals to make an imaginary animal. We can only guess the meaning of these imaginary animals.
Look at the pictures on your table to answer the following questions.
1. Some of the animal figures were made as containers. What do you think they might have used these for?
2. Choose one of the pictures. Draw it below.
3. Do you think it is realistic (like how the animal looks in real life?) If there is anything not realistic about it, describe what doesn't look real.
4. Write four adjectives about this animal figure. (Adjectives are describing words.)
5. Why might these animal sculptures be put in a museum?
[CERAMIC ANIMAL SCULPTURE] [MIDDLE SCHOOL LESSONS] [I A D HOME]
