Abstract:Une histoire du « collectionnisme » des pièces zapotèques et des contrefaçons d'urnes est esquissée à partir d'un échantillonnage de 2 000 pièces ; sur les 4 000 recensées dans le monde. Un cinquième des urnes étudiées peut être considéré comme faux. Les contrefaçons sont classées en 23 variétés ; certaines sont caractéristiques de l'époque à laquelle elles ont été élaborées.
“…At this point the mature cob shows some defining characteristics, such as the wavy lines and dots that cross it, as well as the inclusion of the maize's silk formed at the top. The identification in Zapotec iconography of the glyph for maize (fully developed) has been well established in the literature (Caso and Bernal 1952:20; Mongne 1985:II:Figure 58; Shaplin 1975:113; Urcid 2001:178–184). Figure 7.The ontogenesis of maize as displayed in the headdresses of three Zapotec effigy vessels: (a) Museo Dolores Olmedo (Catalogue No.…”
Section: The Maize Kernel Glyphmentioning
confidence: 82%
“…The ancient Zapotec covered a variety of surfaces with the maize image, including tomb murals and stone monuments, but especially ceramic effigies. Maize can be rendered with either a high degree of realism or with an abstract form, and there is a diversity of different representations of maize on Zapotec urns (Boos 1966; Caso and Bernal 1952; Eubanks 1999; Mongne 1985; Sellen 2007; Shaplin 1975; Urcid 2001). Maize represented in a realistic way is easy to identify, in particular because Zapotec artisans would press the clay directly on the cobs, create a mold, and then attach the ceramic positive to their creations.…”
Section: Iconographic Evidence For Maize On Zapotec Urnsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Linking these two observations, this paper examines how maize and blood were central elements in ancient Zapotec religious practices and how they were related conceptually. Previous studies have covered a lot of ground in identifying and interpreting the iconography of Zapotec urns (Caso 1928; Caso and Bernal 1952; Mongne 1985; Rickards 1938; Sellen 2007; Shaplin 1975; Urcid 2001, 2005), but many theories have gone untested and unchallenged. In this paper I offer several new insights that illustrate the core concepts present in these ritual objects, and discuss how the effigy vessels and their images have broader associations in Zapotec religion and society.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Furthermore, many urns in these collections have been determined to be fakes, which has created a great deal of havoc in earlier research that included them in iconographic studies. Opportunely, in recent years several of these older collections have been analyzed using a variety of chronometric techniques, including thermoluminescence (TL), and hundreds of fakes are now identified (e.g., Goedicke et al 1992; Mongne 1987; Sellen 2004, 2005). Thanks to a growing database of faux urns and a greater understanding of their historical context and how they were made, experts can now readily detect these objects simply by visual examination.…”
This paper examines how maize and blood were central elements in ancient Zapotec religious practices and how they were conceptually linked. I analyze the iconography of different types of Classic period Zapotec ceramic effigy vessels. Using a comparative approach, I identify elements that frequently appear on the urns, such as maize plants in different stages of growth, or representations of the milpa. Framing these observations with early colonial historical accounts and ethnographic studies, I suggest that the main theme involved in these ancient representations was fertility, maintained by a sacred pact forged between humans and their deities that required sacrifice through bloodletting. The drawing and offering of blood insured a cycle of sustained and abundant growth for their most important crop: maize. Though many advances have been made in recent years regarding Zapotec iconography, I will offer some new interpretations regarding specific forms represented on the urns.
“…At this point the mature cob shows some defining characteristics, such as the wavy lines and dots that cross it, as well as the inclusion of the maize's silk formed at the top. The identification in Zapotec iconography of the glyph for maize (fully developed) has been well established in the literature (Caso and Bernal 1952:20; Mongne 1985:II:Figure 58; Shaplin 1975:113; Urcid 2001:178–184). Figure 7.The ontogenesis of maize as displayed in the headdresses of three Zapotec effigy vessels: (a) Museo Dolores Olmedo (Catalogue No.…”
Section: The Maize Kernel Glyphmentioning
confidence: 82%
“…The ancient Zapotec covered a variety of surfaces with the maize image, including tomb murals and stone monuments, but especially ceramic effigies. Maize can be rendered with either a high degree of realism or with an abstract form, and there is a diversity of different representations of maize on Zapotec urns (Boos 1966; Caso and Bernal 1952; Eubanks 1999; Mongne 1985; Sellen 2007; Shaplin 1975; Urcid 2001). Maize represented in a realistic way is easy to identify, in particular because Zapotec artisans would press the clay directly on the cobs, create a mold, and then attach the ceramic positive to their creations.…”
Section: Iconographic Evidence For Maize On Zapotec Urnsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Linking these two observations, this paper examines how maize and blood were central elements in ancient Zapotec religious practices and how they were related conceptually. Previous studies have covered a lot of ground in identifying and interpreting the iconography of Zapotec urns (Caso 1928; Caso and Bernal 1952; Mongne 1985; Rickards 1938; Sellen 2007; Shaplin 1975; Urcid 2001, 2005), but many theories have gone untested and unchallenged. In this paper I offer several new insights that illustrate the core concepts present in these ritual objects, and discuss how the effigy vessels and their images have broader associations in Zapotec religion and society.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Furthermore, many urns in these collections have been determined to be fakes, which has created a great deal of havoc in earlier research that included them in iconographic studies. Opportunely, in recent years several of these older collections have been analyzed using a variety of chronometric techniques, including thermoluminescence (TL), and hundreds of fakes are now identified (e.g., Goedicke et al 1992; Mongne 1987; Sellen 2004, 2005). Thanks to a growing database of faux urns and a greater understanding of their historical context and how they were made, experts can now readily detect these objects simply by visual examination.…”
This paper examines how maize and blood were central elements in ancient Zapotec religious practices and how they were conceptually linked. I analyze the iconography of different types of Classic period Zapotec ceramic effigy vessels. Using a comparative approach, I identify elements that frequently appear on the urns, such as maize plants in different stages of growth, or representations of the milpa. Framing these observations with early colonial historical accounts and ethnographic studies, I suggest that the main theme involved in these ancient representations was fertility, maintained by a sacred pact forged between humans and their deities that required sacrifice through bloodletting. The drawing and offering of blood insured a cycle of sustained and abundant growth for their most important crop: maize. Though many advances have been made in recent years regarding Zapotec iconography, I will offer some new interpretations regarding specific forms represented on the urns.
“…The final obstacle is the flood of fake urns churned out in relatively modem times (Boos 1966: 15;Shaplin 1975Shaplin , 1978aMongne 1987 (Shaplin 1978b;Feest 1986;Feest et al 1984;Eisleb personal communication 1990). The testing method itself has not received complete acceptance, and some of these results have been disputed.…”
Section: The Xipe Statue and Its Analoguesmentioning
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