Page 534 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

order in the face of the contending forces of the In other underworld associations the cougar (or
upper and lower worlds. These forces were con- panther), sometimes as an aquatic monster, con-
ceived as opposites such as good/evil, order/ trolled the underworld. The snake had a con-
chaos, and life/death that are present to varying nection with regeneration. 20
degrees in all things and actions. They were The serpent was not always cast as the tute-
connected with what were (and to an extent lary of the warriors or as a power controlled by
traditionally still are) regarded as polar forces in the war chief. At a somewhat earlier point in
constant contention and counteraction. The time, the falcon had been the principal emblem
middle ground, that of the earth, was the thea- of war leadership. Chiefs dressed in nose, head-
ter in which these cosmic forces played. 18 dress, and cloak of hawks impersonated this
The sacred fire was by origin and association patron of stunning prowess in an effort to
a representative of the upper world having con- mimic in dance and dress the effects they
siderable power for good on this earth as long as sought to emulate in their deeds (cats. 437,
it was properly tended. But proper care in a 440).
perfect sense was offset by the frailties of Ideas about the place of individual animal
humankind. This is where management of the powers were given greater scope for expression fig. 6. Paired Figures Confronting a Forked Pole.
countervailing powers aligned with each of the outside the ordered universe of the controlling This motif is a serpent theme; the figures have wood-
worlds required dedicated ritual attention. The and rationalizing chiefs, priests, and healers. pecker-headed hatchets in their belts. Drawing from
upper world was associated with the sun, the These concepts are richly expressed in the many pieces of engraved marine-shell cup, c. 1300
sacred fire, the thunderers, the falcon, and stories and remedies handed down through oral
other powers. The underworld was associated tradition. Most of these beliefs have to do with
with water from springs, the cougar, and the ceremonies that were public rather than exclu- Artistic expression separated the female
rattlesnake. Although life was believed to be sive to the initiates of the shrine. All adult soci- world from that of the male. In human images
conferred by powers from the upper world and ety took part; professional masters of ritual women are confined to the earliest period of
death was a property of the underworld, various were unnecessary. The principal cycle of public artistic production and were the centers of
allied concepts of fertility were apportioned ceremonies was the green corn dance, a com- mythic tableaux revolving around the origin of
more subtly. munal ritual honoring the first crop of corn, fertility and the gifts of the cult founder. They
The leaders of the Natchez appropriated into which was so essential to the local economy. feature such elements as generation of squash
their names the sun and the serpent as symbols This great ceremony enlisted many of the plants from the body of magical cougar-
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of primal power. The "Sun/' representing the beliefs most fundamental to everyday existence. serpents. Males play an entirely different role
upper world, was the preeminent ruler who was Images chosen for subject matter in the in imagery that centered around warfare, spirit
senior brother to the "Tattooed Serpent/' repre- ceramic arts appear to be subject to the same quest, divination, hunting, and the impersona-
senting the lower. As principal and second- influences as public ritual. Most of the animals tion of magical forces.
ranking leaders of the tribe they encapsulated incorporated into effigy pottery could have been Within this broad range of expression certain
the cosmos. Together they controlled the fate of regarded as personal tutelaries accessible to themes stand out for their connection with the
the society by representing these polar forces everyone. Modeling of humans must have had chiefly ancestors, secular power, and warfare.
on earth. another rationale, none of it having any particu- The honored ancestors can be depicted as heads
Leadership in war and the organization of larly sacred aspect as far as we can tell (cats. or mysterious figures. In more abstract fashion,
men into warrior societies drew upon the 434, 439). Commonly held beliefs are thought hand and eye in certain contexts signify the
powers of the upper and lower worlds. The to include the primal importance of caves within gods (cat. 430). Litters become images of chiefly
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falcon constituted the symbol of elite control of hills. The large earthwork platforms that sup- office. Associated with this theme of secular
success in war. This animal had most of its con- ported the shrines and chiefs' houses are inter- power are woodpeckers, specifically wood-
nections with the elite. Hawks, and more specif- preted as having drawn from this power. pecker-effigy war hatchets.
ically duck hawks or peregrine falcons, were the In the years after 1000 a distinctive imagery Warfare in general is a theme finding many
epitome of the aggressive strike force, probably became established, which lasted into historic expressions. Images of fierce warriors represent
out of regard for their spectacular aerial hunting times. This imagery centered around objects ideals of male prowess in battle and success in
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behavior. But other birds possessed warrior that were literal or metaphorical expressions of raiding. The falcon, pileated woodpecker, and
qualities as well. The pileated woodpecker and certain powers. Conspicuous among them were turkey were employed to represent fierceness in
the turkey represented warriors because of very the animals connected with the ritual invocation combat and the other traits of the successful
different properties specific to each. The former of cosmological forces. Many of these mammals, warrior. Serpents held a strong place in
was conventionally associated with the war birds, and insects, however, have less exalted, imagery, although their meaning changed over
hatchet that was shown in images with chiefly even playful associations as well (cat. 433). time (cat. 431). In later prehistory the imagi-
identifications. In contrast to these upper-world Images of man and animals were frequently nary piasa monster was the typical embodiment
representatives, major warrior societies among combined in ways suggesting particular myths of the dangerous ruler of the underworld. This
Natchez and certain Creek towns drew upon the in which these creatures were central charac- monster was depicted as a rattlesnake with
serpent. The cougar represented stealth in ters. Birds in particular represented specific cougar head, avian wings, and animal legs with
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combat. This use of one or the other resembles positions in society. In this sense the bird king- talons. The mixture brought together elements
the division of Creek towns into red and white dom was thought of as a metaphor for human of certain creatures that played a role as tute-
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sides, one representing war and the other peace. society. 22 laries of warfare: cougar, serpent, and hawk. It

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