Animal Sculptures

Pre-Columbian Art

Grades 6-8

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?

Click on the images above to expand

Animal Figure Planning

This sheet is to help you get ideas for your animal sculpture.

1. If you wanted to make a sculpture of an animal that was strong, powerful and brave,
name three animals you could make. ______________, ______________, ______________.

2. If you wanted to make a sculpture of an animal that was gentle and calm, name three animals you could make. _______________, ______________, _____________.

3. What animal are YOU most like? (Are you graceful like a swan, are you fast like a cheetah?) __________________

4. If you wanted to show an animal as a companion, friend and pet, what are three animals you could make?
____________, ____________, ___________.

5. Name three parts of different animals you can put together to make a new, imaginary animal. (Ex: the body of a cow, the head of a fish, the wings of a penguin).

______________________, _______________________, ______________________.

6. In the space below, DRAW the animal figure you want to make. You can combine a few animals or just choose one. You can make a container with animal features or a simple sculpture of an animal. Why did you choose this animal? (EX: it is an animal like me, it is animal I have as a pet, I want to show a gentle animal, etc.)

Pre-Columbian Links

• Barvier-Mueller Pre-Columbian Art Museum

• The Barakat Gallery

• Pre-Columbian Gold (Archive)

• Peabody Museum at Harvard - See their Central American art and their South American art.