A labyrinth of forms; the pre-Hispanioc culture of Peru

UNESCO Courier, July, 1984 by Jesus F. Garcia Ruiz

WHEN one enters the world of the arts and creations of pre-Hispanic Andean societies, one fact become immediately evident; although the creative artists of these different cultures employed similar techniques and materials, each society excelled in its mastery and perfection of form in only one of the various branches of creative activity.

The craftsmen of Chavin had no equals when it came to expression in stone; those of Paracas used the distaff and spindle to create original forms in textiles; the Nazcas and Mochicas modelled the most beautiful ceramics ; the craftsmen of Tiahuanaco introduced the monolithic architecture which would later be developed by the Incas; no one equalled the Chimus in the art of feather-work and in metalwork. The Incas synthesized the various branches of creative art by incorporating into their empire the artists whom they found throughout the length and breadth of the territories they conquered or subjected. It is from this specificity and variety that the art of the Andes derives its importance.

The world of forms reflects an astonishing level of artistic maturity in Chavin de Huantar (1500 BC to 400 BC). The techniques and materials used vary, but it is in bas-relief stone carving that exceptional perfection of form is displayed.

Like their contemporaries the Olmecs of Central America, the artists of Chavin succeeded in mastering stone and imprinting upon it complex meanings through a labyrinth of forms. The genius of these artists can be appreciated at its best in basreliefs such as those at El Lanzon, the Raimondi and Yauya stelae, the obelisk at Chavin or the warriors of Cerro Sechin, where we can admire the genius of these artists at its greatest. The theme is a symbolic group embodying the anthropomorphization of the jaguar associated with the serpent, the condor and the fish. At El Lanzon, for instance, the figure is depicted in a standing, forward-facing position. The head clearly indicated the symbiosis of feline characteristics--fangs, claws, eyes and maw. The body, like the extremities, is reduced in size and the hair is in the form of serpents. The Yauya stela bears an even more striking composition. The head is formed of two feline faces meeting in a common mouth, while the body is that of a fish with its gills and dorsal, ventral and caudal fins.

The underlying meaning of this world of forms is still to be discovered. But one thing is clear: the artists of Chavin had mastered the technique of working in stone and were capable of imprinting upon it an indelible, permanent testimony of their wisdom and knowledge.

The civilization of Paracas (1100 BC to 200 BC), for its part, attained a high level of artistic production in textiles. Thanks to the ecological conditions prevailing in the region, specimens have come down to us in a perfect state of preservation. They include many burial fardos (bales or bundles), with the offerings and the cloths in which they were wrapped. Amongst the many items discovered--ceramics with decorations incised after baking, fire-engraved vessesl, obsidian knives, cotton netting and gauze--the painted cloths and cotton and woollen embroidery are especially striking.

For archaeologists and art historians the artists of Paracas will always be associated with the art of textiles because of the complexity of their motifs and the harmony and beauty of their colours. The most interesting items are the so-called mantos. The base of the textile is formed of a weft of wool or cotton, upon which a multitude of motifs are embroidered--jaguars similar to the Chavin stylizations, bicephalous condors, reptiles, fishes, birds, hands grasping obsidian knives, severed heads. All these motifs are worked with great freedom of form. The attention is especially attracted by the wealth of ornamentation, the movement given to the forms, the constant balance of colours. The colouring has retained all its freshness and intensity.

While it is true that pottery techniques attained high levels of artistic maturity amongst the ceramists of Chavin, the highest artistic levels were achieved by the Nazcas (200 BC to 600 AD), and the Mochicas (200 BC to 700 AD).

The Nazca ceramist was also a master of forms and of polychrome painting. The archetype of his creativity is the semi-globular pitcher with two cylindrical beaks placed vertically and joined by a bridge neck. The potter's wheel was not used in America. Ceramists used the technique of the rolled clay "snake", which was first fixed at the base and then stretched to form the walls of the vessel. When this initial stage had been completed a coating of fine sand was applied to protect the object during baking. Afterwards it was polished to obtain the smooth, brilliant surface which would serve as a basis for the pictorial decoration.

It was in this final stage of painting that the Nazca artists excelled in the creation of unique forms. Their mastery of abstract art attained such a level that even today we are amazed by the imaginative power displayed in their designs. Some pieces contain as many as eleven colours, not counting blended colours. The motifs used are sometimes similar to those found in the textiles of Paracas. They consist of anthropomorphic figures framed by geometrical patterns. The central figures are overlapped by real beings from the animal and vegetable worlds, everyday objects and utensils.