2/07/2019

The Importance Of Native American Oil Paintings NM

By Michael Butler


Native Americans have been creating paints and sculptures for centuries. This is one of the first civilizations in America and thus their culture is rich in history and art. One of their most popular forms of expression is sculpture. Over the years there have been countless Native American oil paintings NM and sculptures uncovered by Archeologists.

The most common American sculptures are called Fetishes. These Fetishes are small carvings that are often highly decorated. They formed a crucial part of the lives of these indigenous tribes. As the most commonly took the form of animals these people believed that the small carvings took on the spirit of the animal they represented. Fetish dolls commonly take the forms of bears, eagles, rabbits, or wild horses.

The artists who sculpted these small animals believed that their art should be both beautiful as well as having a purpose. They would spend a considerable amount of time ensuring that their sculptures were appropriately decorated. The artists would choose decorations from objects around them that caught their attention. Common decorations for these Fetish carvings include shells, feathers, and small stones while the rarer sculptures were covered in precious metals and gemstones.

The lands in which the Native Americans lived was rich in mineral deposits. Thus it is common to find these kinds of carvings that have been sculpted from stones like soapstone and turquoise. The rarer and difficult to find Fetishes are usually carved from marble. These small sculptures are incredible as marble was incredibly difficult to locate at that time and would have been rather expensive.

Out of all of the hundreds of different Native tribes, the Zuni tribe is believed to have produced the best Fetish carvings. Additionally, they placed more spiritual significance on these carvings than any other tribe. A core belief held by this tribe was that their sculptures were living animals that had been turned to stone. Each carving was precious because it helped to connect their world to the world of the gods.

The Zuni people believed that four animals represented the four compass directions. North was represented by the mountain lion, east by the wolf, the south was represented by the badger, and finally the west by the bear. These four animals each had their own special characteristics. These beneficial aspects would provide the carrier of the fetish with these same characteristics. Some would help with healing while others offered protection on a long journey.

The American culture is also well known for their wide variety of sculptures. They would take fallen logs and sculpt totem poles from their wood. Each totem pole served as a welcome sign for guests and would offer an important visual representation of the families or villages status and ties. Also common were busts sculpted from clay or carved from wood. These busts would represent important figures in Native American history.

The sculptures created by Americans are a key part of their history. Their sculptures are not only breathtaking to look at but also serve to connect their people to the spirit world.




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