Week 7- The Americas, China, India, and Cambodia
This week in History of Interiors we learned about the Americas and China, India, and Cambodia.
The Americas are considered the regions of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and the United States. In prehistoric times they had no knowledge of Old-World Europe, so their interior architecture was inspired by what they knew and developed. Their homes were often built underground and on cliffs, being made from stone, brick and reeds. This period dated from around 500 b.c. to 1500 a.d.
There are several different cultures that existed within the Americas. In Peru, the Incas existed, the Aztecs in Mexico, in Southern Mexico were the Olmecs, and in Central America were the Mayan-Toltecs. If you are like me, many of these names sound familiar due to tv series and movies such as “National Treasure”. These were major civilizations that existed both in tropical humid lowlands and mountains areas depending on the region. These civilizations were very religious, hence why 2 (4) sided pyramids were built.
(Olmec Jade Mask) (Modern Day Mask)
The Olmecs were the first major civilization in Mexico, in 1500-400 a.d. Like Egypt, they created hieroglyphic writings, and even the first calendar in the Western Hemisphere! They are known for their luxurious artifacts as well as their realistic artwork, that was especially prevalent in their temples that were the city center and the homes of the upper class. They created small idols, such as ceramic figurines, having believed in multiple deities. Additionally, they were quite athletic, creating sports such as the Mesoamerican ball game.
The Mayan- Toltecs existed from 2000 b.c. to 250 a.d. but were destroyed in the Spanish conquest. The Aztecs considered themselves the place of the gods. Taking place in modern-day Mexico City, the city was home to approximately 200,000 residents, its plan was axial, the ceremonial center being 2 miles.
The Incas were in the mountainous Pacific coast of Peru. This is where the famous Machu Picchu existed, showcasing their mastery of stone cutting. The Incas used a variety of different building types in a variation of climates. As the picture demonstrates, these were highly isolated areas, before they were ended by the Spanish Conquistador, they had empires in big open spaces, that were deeply connected to the metaphysical world.
(Machu Picchu) (Modern Day Mountain Civiliation)
In 1600 b.c. - 1912 a.d. China, India, and Cambodia had significant civilizations. China has had the World’s longest continuous civilization of 4,000 years, being the second largest population today. In Chinese Architecture there were two well-known building types, the stupa and the Pagoda. The stupa is a mound of dirt, which a structure is built on top of, this idea was birthed in India, and spread in China due to the Buddhist religion. The pagoda is a combination of the stupa and a Chinese tower.
(Chinese Interior) (Modern Day Application)
One of the seven wonders of the world comes from this era, which is the Great Wall of China. It is built along the northern border of China from stone, brick, wood, mud, and the earth, being over 13,000 miles, it is a great fortification that includes watch towers.
Most traditional construction was timber-framed structures being a craftmanship style. Many buildings had interior courtyards, creating a symmetrical layout and orientation. Furniture was often simple mats or light, stable forms made from wood or bamboo, many of which were also very versatile.
In India is where the Stupa originated and housed many sacred relics, which was also a Buddhist culture. Similar, to Chinese culture, they did not use much furniture either, they sat, ate, and slept on the floor.
One Step Further
This oil painting is by the artist, Axel Jung. He does his paintings based on memories and his own photos, focusing on spiritual topics, he expresses his search for the meaning of life, seeking this out in religion.
Sami,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! I like how you split it up into the countries that the book covers and how descriptive you were about the difference and similarities between the designs. Your One Step Further was also well done! Good job!
Sami,
ReplyDeleteThis Blog post was wonderful! You summarized the contributions from the Americas and compared them with current objects and settings such as the mask and mountain community.
The spiritual significance of the architecture from the America's that we studied this was intriguing.
I love how you explained the construction processes of the Chinese and Indian cultures. They both offered very minimal use of furniture but lovely and inviting interiors. Finally the oil painting you shared by Axel Jung was an excellent choice for "One Step Further" 50/50 points
Great post! I enjoyed how you connected the ancient civilizations of the Americas and Asia to their lasting architectural and cultural impacts. The detail about the stupa and pagoda in China and India was insightful, and the modern-day comparisons really helped illustrate their influence.
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