Exhibition vs. Ritual: Olmec Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico. by Ekaterina Sabieva

 

       Olmec civilization, which flourished over 3000 years ago in the tropical rain-forests and watery savannahs of Mexico’s southern Gulf lowlands, is acknowledged as the oldest civilization in the America to create monumental art and architecture. They flourished from 1200 B.C.E. to about 400 B.C.E., and then somehow disappeared. In this essay I will talk about the art of the Olmec civilization and magnificence of colossal heads in particular. We will find out who were the people they represent, how many of them were found, the purpose of their existence and of how the setting of this particular artwork influences our perception about it.

      Today the Olmec civilization is best known for the creation of colossal heads that were crated in the second millennium B.C. What strikes me the most about the Colossal Heads is the size, how they were made, the tool that were used and how material was delivered without the use of wheels or any modern technology we have today.

      In the middle of the Nineteenth Century seventeen Colossal Heads were discovered all over Mexico and Mesoamerica. Four of them were found in La Venta, one in Cabata, ten heads were found in San Lorenzo, and two in Tres Zapotez. The heads are truly massive, ranging from almost 5 feet to 11 feet in height, and weighing many tons. The stone that the heads are carved out of is basalt, a volcanic stone, a stone that is born from fire that was extracted in boulders weighing thousands of pounds. Some were transported from Tuxtla Mountains; some from Cerro Cintepec; others from San Martin Volcano. It has been estimated that moving a colossal head required the efforts of 1,500 people for three to four months. No iron or copper has been found in the area, so these heads were most likely carved with stone, sand and water (with techniques unknown today) which most likely was incredibly time consuming. Basalt rock is very hard to work even with the modern technology we have today. Considering the size of the stone, it’s weight, the distance from the source to the villages and the amount of man power it required in order to be moved, makes one wonder about the significance of people whose heads were carved of.

      Some scholars believe these sculptures to be head portraits that memorialized rulers and therefore constitute the first royal portraits of ancient Mexico. Each portrait is distinguished by size, expression, and personal adornment. Their gigantic scale asserts the ruler’s power and authority, but their expressive faces are realistic portraits of specific individuals. All of the portrait heads wear helmet-like headgear, each of which bears distinctive motifs that may have identified the portrayed ruler. The helmet on Colossal Head sculpture (number 5) from San Lorenzo displays typical elements found on other San Lorenzo portrait heads, such as the horizontal band topped by a woven motif with circular forms. The woven-mat design is used to symbolize royalty, and the three-toed bird feet or feline paws, each with a talon, may represent the figure’s name or lineage. While the front of the sculpture shows the rounded face of a ruler, the back of it is flat and polished, suggesting its former use as a throne. Monolithic carved thrones and colossal portrait heads publicly proclaimed the ruler’s importance and authority, which were also expressed through specific regalia emphasizing the ruler’s ability to ensure prosperity for his community. Many Olmec heads had the symbol of the jaguar in different headpieces. Olmecs believed that the jaguar was the living and the dead.

       Almost all of the colossal heads bear the same features, flattened nose, full lips, and capping headpiece. These characteristics have caused some debate due to their apparent resemblance to African facial characteristics. Based on this comparison, some have insisted that the Olmecs were Africans who had immigrated to Mesoamerica long ago. However, claims of pre-Columbian contacts with Africa are rejected by the majority of archeologists and other Mesoamerican scholars. Some of the heads, and many other monuments, have been variously mutilated, buried and disinterred, reset in new locations and/or reburied. It is known that some monuments, and at least two heads, were recycled or re-carved, but it is not known whether this was simply due to the scarcity of stone or whether these actions had ritual or other implications. It is also suspected that some mutilation had significance beyond mere destruction. These deliberate alterations may have been performed after the reign of the ruler to diminish his powers. Explanations for the facial features of the colossal heads include possibility that the heads were carved in this manner due to the shallow space allowed on the basalt boulders. Others note that in addition to the broad noses and thick lips, the heads have the Asian eye-fold, and that all these characteristics can still be found in modern Mesoamerican Indians.

        Today, we view these colossal heads indoors, in a museum setting, with dimmed lighting, standing on a platform surrounded by plain, empty walls and other museum artifacts. To some it may be just another piece of art from 3,000 years ago discovered somewhere in Mexico, as an enormous rock with someone’s face carved into it. However, when these monuments were made, viewers probably saw the heads in bright sunshine or rain, surrounded by the greenery of jungles and the sounds of wild life.

This type of monument marks the beginning of a tradition of honoring the ruler and his figural representation. Rulers were represented in large cities throughout Mesoamerica. Their feats were recorded and their lineages were associated with patron deities. The power of the ruler was legitimized by both ancestral and sacred authority, a concept that seems to be the principal message of the Olmec monoliths. Olmec people were probably looking at these sculptures with a different perspective then we do today. Olmec heads may have been the portraits of their rulers, someone whom they adored, whom they believed to be as mighty as their gods. Also, these monuments might have been made for ritual purposes, they might have been head portraits of those rulers that passed away, like a memorial. Maybe it was a way they were remembered after their death, like a photograph we keep today of our loved ones who have passed away and of those who are still alive.

Leaving behind a mysterious history and an advanced civilization, the Olmecs have literally carved their place in history. It’s been more than 3,000 years since the early inhabitants of Mexico created their first monumental sculptures deep in the heart of North America’s jungles and their art still remains a mystery for us all.  

Exhibition VS. Ritual by Mark Pedruco

Classics are timeless, meaning that different generations who experience a classic will probably be affected in the same way as the generation that experienced the classic first.  This is also true for the Olmec exhibit at the De Young Museum.  Sixteen heads have been discovered so far, and at least ten of them are thought to memorialize rulers.  Composite eyes with deep incisions, a broad nose, and a mouth facing downward are iconic Olmec-style features that can be seen on each head.  They all have helmets decorated with animal insignia which may have possibly served as the governor’s emblem.  Some of these heads were carved from pre-existing thrones, the exact reason behind this is still unknown.  Two possibilities include: stone as a material was scarce and they had to re-use what they had, or the throne was a sentimental piece and it was a symbolic act.  Evidence for throne use comes from the fact that the back of the heads are flat instead of round like the rest of the head.  Also, the fact that these heads were found in the Olmec capital further emphasizes their importance.

            A man known as Walter Benjamin compares the purpose of ritualistic art with exhibition or mass reproduction of art.  Interestingly the Olmec heads appear to be a combination of both, we assume their creation is to ritually depict governors and even though each head has its own unique characteristics, they all are similar in that they are giant heads carved from stone to immortalize certain individuals in Olman history.  Another factor is present among the Olmec heads which echoes a point brought up by Benjamin, “Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice- politics” (Chaper IV).  Even though these are great works of art, their primary purpose is political because of the people who they represent, governors.  The advertising campaign to promote the Olmec heads can also be considered political, increased awareness of the Olmec Exhibit will in turn increase income for the De Young Museum as well as its prestige.  Benjamin also explains how a work of art never loses its exclusive ‘aura’ even when seen from different perspectives.  The Olmec heads represented powerful individuals when the Olman society was still alive, and in modern times people will still see it as powerful, but instead as a representation of all Olmans instead of just their governers.

            Benjamin also compares the ability of certain works of art being open to the public with exclusive secretive works of art.  Some of the reasons for exclusivity include specific individuals who inherit the right to witness the work of art, or it may simply be due to the weight or foundation of a work of art that it cannot be moved without compromising the work of art itself.  Considering this idea with the Olmec heads, technology has allowed the transportation of these massive heads, when in the past moving these objects is considered impossible.

            The Olmec heads are slightly intimidating but also simultaneously intriguing because of their overwhelming size.  The opportunity to actually see an Olmec head in person is deeply humbling with the knowledge that ancient people were able to sculpt such objects without the use of metal tools.  The museum setting containing the works of art centered in displays with lights and information evokes imagination and wonder from the observer.  The sterile environment helps isolate the figure into focus but also forces the observer to guess about what it was like to see these figures in their original environment.  The optional headphones for the exhibit explains certain information about the Olman society and also provides some tribal background music to help immerse the observer.  Even with the music and lights however, the exhibit cannot recreate the smells and sounds of water, plants, and dirt from the tropical locale of the Olmec head, nor can it authentically recreate the “natural pose” it was found in.  Witnessing the Olmec head in its original environment will probably be exponentially more powerful than the same Olmec head presented at the De Young Musuem.  It is the same as trying to teach someone how to do something by only telling them what to do, the best thing is to actually try it for themselves so they know the feeling personally.  The same goes for seeing the Olmec head in the museum, we are told objective information through third parties such as information cards and tour guides, but it does not compare to the experience of coming across these masterpieces in their homeland while all of your senses are engaged.  People remember things better when it is a personal experience instead of forced learning.

            Overall, experiencing the Olman artworks is sort of paradoxical.  The size of the heads are so large that it does not matter if you see it in a museum or the natural environment, they simply have a powerful presence.  However, at the same time each location has its advantages and disadvantages.  The museum helps you learn about the history behind the artworks and the people who created them, but the environment has the indescribable sensory experience which the Olman society felt as well as the archaeologists which rediscovered them.  The presentation utilizing a stage and lights helps keep the piece in focus for the observer to examine but the environment also compliments the piece with a history of its own (being the environment that the Olman people lived in).  Objective information from the museum concludes the observer’s questions about the piece, but the natural environment envelopes the piece with an infinite curiosity.  In the end it all depends on the individual for what is preferred, everything has a good and bad side and it is up to the individual to decide what they perceive as ultimately good or bad.

Exhibition VS. Ritual by Justin Edwards

   In 1938 the respected Yale archaeologist Michael Coe reports that “there was strongly grounded suspicions that an entirely new civilization, somehow related to the Maya but different from it, and of an unknown age, was to be discovered in the jungle strongholds of the southern Gulf Coast plain."  Coe’s theory was in fact true; this mysterious civilization was that of the Olmec people.  The Olmec civilization is considered to be the mother of all Mesoamerican cultures.  They arose around 1600bce. and disappeared around 400bce. 

   The Olmec society still holds a large cloud of mystery over modern day archaeology.  One reason behind this fact is the discovery that many materials used in the Olmec society were imported from elsewhere.  "Everything at La Venta is exotic," reports Coe "in the sense that it was brought from somewhere else.  Even the brightly colored clays had been specially selected and brought to the island, for they are not indigenous.  Likewise, the jade and serpentine (ton after ton of the latter) came from a distant and as yet unknown source."  Obsidian was yet another material that the Olmecs used to perfection but was imported from an unknown source.  Perhaps the most fascinating imported material was that of the gigantic basaltic stones.  For these massive stones would be carved down to create some of the Olmec’s most prized artworks; the Colossal Olmec Heads.    

   As I turned the corner in the basement of the De Young Museum I stared down a long dark corridor and at the other end a gigantic head was staring right back.  The De Young Museum was fortunate enough to incorporate two of the seventeen known Olmec Heads into their exhibit.  As I approached the massive head sculpture I stood in awe at the sheer magnitude and presence it immediately demanded.  The head had a large flat, broad nose and thick lips and a seemingly expressionless face.  The head was adorned with a large round helmet and it was adorned with various jewelry and materials.  If I had not known that the exhibit was of the Olmec people I would have guessed the head was of Mesoamerican descent.  To me it was a large sculpture that resembled that of the Mayan’s or Aztec’s artworks.  This is probably why the Olmec’s are considered the mother civilization to both ancient cultures.  As I strolled through the halls of the exhibit I was witness to many other Olmec artworks.  I saw an antique jar that resembled a large lizard or possibly a dragon.  The head and tail of the creature were the handles of the jar.  I also saw various statues carved from what seemed to be different material than the basaltic heads.  Many of these statues were carved with the same flat, broad nose, thick lips, and expressionless face as that of the colossal heads.  However, not all the statues shared the same physical appearances.  But by far the most dominating display of the Olmec society was that of the giant Olmec heads.  In our age of Skyscrapers these heads may not seem that large but compared to ancient times they must have been ten times as colossal.  I believe that all the hundreds of other Olmec artworks in the exhibit could have been stuffed to fit inside one of the gigantic heads.  I believe that the museum was trying to exhibit the ancient yet sophisticated artwork of these people.  Expertly crafted yet each creation was that of the natural world.  The entire exhibit screamed “jungle peoples.”

   Many theories surround the shroud of mystery that we call the Olmec people.  Due to the recurring theme of flat, broad nosed and thick lipped sculptures in this society some believe that these people must have been migrants and not native to the lands.  One theory believes that the Olmec’s were originally Africans.  Egyptians had built large barges almost 1500 years earlier that could successfully navigate the sometimes rough waters of the Nile.  Also if a bottle was dropped into the ocean off the coast of east Africa it could more than likely end up on the western coast of Central America.  So if Africans could construct a vessel capable of surviving the Atlantic Ocean they would essentially need no navigational tools for the voyage since the current brings them directly to Mesoamerica.  But even with all this speculation most modern day scholars dismiss this theory.  A more excepted theory is that the ancestors of the Olmecs migrated from Asian during the last ice age around twenty-five thousand years ago.  They crossed the land bride of the Bering Strait and traveled down the western coast of North America into the Mexican “heartland.”

Another more accepted theory is that each of seventeen discovered heads represents an Olmec ruler.  Each head is slightly different in facial structure (all still retaining the broad nose, thick lips) than the other.  Each head is also adorned with a rounded helmet with sometimes lavish decorations.  A common speculator could easily assume it to be a crown of a ruler or helmet used in war.  One leading theory in the scholarly world states that these helmets are helmets used in the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame.  This theory is not at all farfetched because the ballgame of Central America is so prevalent among other ancient societies such as the Aztecs and Mayans.  Also in the Nahuatl language of the ancient Aztecs the word Olmec means “rubber people.”

   All in all the colossal basalt heads are a gigantic testament to the Olmec civilization however, as an audience in San Francisco, thousands of miles away from the original resting place of the sculptures, we receive only a fraction of the heads’ true aura.  While describing an artworks “aura” Walter Benjamin states “…the desire of contemporary masses to bring things “closer” spatially and humanly, which is just as ardent as their bent toward overcoming the uniqueness of every reality by accepting its reproduction.”  We see the colossal heads, but we do not see them in the same fashion that the Olmec people did.  It is merely a reproduction of the original.  Benjamin also states, “Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.”  We were not witness to the heads unearthing in the various Olmec sites deep within the jungles of Central America.  We witness them in a controlled exhibition.  The exhibition at De Young is merely displaying the artwork of yet another ancient peoples.  One of the world’s many civilizations.  The artworks may not be the same as an Egyptian exhibition at De Young by the process of displaying them is quite the same; glass cases, paragraphs underneath each work explaining the art, and of course gallery lighting.  Although we see the same artworks we view them on a completely different universal plane.  The Olmecs were a society deeply entrenched in the jungle setting.  The heads in their time could have been worshipped or even used in ceremonies.  Or possibly used for something completely different.  Archaeologists have yet another perception of these artworks.  In their minds it is yet another piece of the gigantic puzzle of civilization. 

   Even photography of the Olmec excavations is creating another plane on which to perceive the artwork and of course is merely a reproduction of the original.  When viewing the photograph can you fully perceive the size and enormity of the colossal basaltic head?  Can one feel the intense humidity of the jungle? Is one able to look around the excavation site and picture the Olmec structures of ancient times?  The answer to all of these questions in ‘no.’  At this point in time it is impossible to fully capture the ‘aura’ and originality of the Olmec heads.  We may perceive the Olmec heads in person or in photographs but our perception is skewed not only by the environment surrounding us, but also by thousands of years of ever evolving society.