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Blog #8 Pysanka ( Ukrainian Easter eggs)

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  Blog #7 Ukrainian Easter Eggs Welcome back! Today I will be covering pysanka, or Ukrainian Easter eggs. The practice is traced back to pagan times, when ancient Ukrainian people worshipped the Sun as the source of life on Earth. Because they believed birds were chosen by the sun God, eggs became central to their rituals.  Shown above are traditional pysanky eggs. (The History Behind the Ukrainian Tradition of Decorating Pysanky Easter Eggs, TIME) However, once Christianity started to spread, the eggs new meaning became the resurrection of Christ. Orthodox Christians began to use these pysanky eggs when celebrating Easter to protect them from misfortune.  The importance of pysanky is continue after Easter as well. Ukrainians put egg shells in cattle feed or gardens to enhance growth. Eggs are also put in the four corners of houses to bring good luck.  Psyankas are also made to celebrate the first day of spring, also call Velykden. The process of making psyanky eggs...
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Blog #7 West African Mask Making

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  Welcome back everyone! In this blog I will be covering West African mask making. Masks are very central to African culture, and the traditional of masking is related to the continent's history of extravagant masquerades .              Shown above is an example of an African masquerade.       (The Mardi Gras, the Canboulay and the Persistence of Africa, Artistis' Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago.) Masquerades were theorized to have developed around 3000-2500 BCE among the Bantu people. However there are hypothesized mystical origins as well, according to an Igbo legend masquerades were introduced by a villager who utilized masked figures to ward off opponents during disputes over land. Others argue the masquerades developed from male elders as a form of social control as women are not allowed to participate in masquerade activities.  Despite the different theories of origin, the symbolization of the masks are the same. They ca...
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Blog #6 Huichol Beading of Mexico

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  NOVEMBER 26th, 2023 Blog #6 Huichol Beading of Mexico Welcome back everyone! In this blog entry I will be covering Huichol beading, a style of bead and string art native to Mexico. Huichol beading arose from the Indigenous people of the Huichol tribe from the Jalisco and Nayarit regions of Mexico. The beading always includes vivid colors and symbols, animals and designs ancient and sacred to the Huichol people. They were one of the last tribes under Spanish colonization, but their pagan religion remained resilient to the Spanish rule. Their spiritual beliefs are expressed through art in beadwork, yarn painting, wooden masks or embroidered adornments.          (TeleSURhd, The Mysticism of Mexico's Huichol People)                    Huichol Woman tending to her shop.  These religous beliefs are often depicted through representations of animals, ritual objects and nature. The Huichol religion places a gr...
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Blog #5 Chinese Kite Making

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  Blog #5 Chinese Kite Making and its History Welcome back! Today we will be going over kite making in China and it's history.  The kite is an invention native to China, with the earliest kite dating back to the Warring States Period , or 475-221 B.C. The original kites, called mutual, were made out of wood but the invention of paper changed this.  Kites were first used for militaristic purposes. Some functions included measuring distances, useful when transporting large armies across harsh terrain. They calculated wind readings and were a form of communication between armies.             (Illustration of Chinese Kite Flying, Ancient China) These kites were large in size to carry men up to spy on the enemy and to disperse propaganda leaflets. Laing Dynasty Emperor Wudi used the kite method to send out an S.O.S. when surrounded by rebel troops under You Jing. The frames of the kites are made from bamboo rods and were a pivotal step in ens...
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Blog #4 Aboriginal Dot Art

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  NOVEMBER 3RD, 2023 ABORIGINAL DOT ART Welcome back everyone! In blog #4 I will be covering the style of Aboriginal dot art, native to Australia.            An Example of Aboriginal art with use of dots.                                       (Australian Aboriginal Art: Understanding History, In Good Taste) Aboriginal Art includes a specific dot style, that was originally drawn over soil during ceremonies. There is a large emphasis of symbolism in the art with each shape representing a terrain, person or weapon. Body paint was another pivotal part to the art, with outlines of circles and dots.           An example of early Aboriginal art drawn in sand.      (Stories in the Sand: A History Of The Indigenous Painting Form) The style is abstract on purpose, this was so aboriginal artists could disguise the meaning of ...
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Blog #3 Japanese Traditional Tattoos

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  OCTOBER 9th, 2023 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Welcome back! In this post I'll be covering traditional Japanese tattoos.  Traditional Japanese tattoos have a rich and complicated history as tattoos themselves were illegal between 1936-1946. However tattooing in Japan dates back to approximately 10,000 BC during the Jomon or Paleolithic period . It was during the Kofun period, 300-600 AD when tattoos gained negative connotations, tattoo marks were now placed on criminals as a punishment rather than a symbol of status.  People with tattoos were regarded as outsiders and later on associated with the Yakuza, a crime game dating back to the 1600s who notoriously pledge their allgence with full body markings. While tattoos are now more common, this stigma still exist today, anyone with tattoos can not use public swimming pools, hot springs, beaches and specific gyms if not covered up.  Despite the stigma, traditional Jap...
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Blog #2 Egyptian Tomb Art

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SEPTEMBER 18th, 2023 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Hello all! Welcome back to blog #2 regarding cultural art! In this blog I will be covering Egyptian tomb art. Ancient Egyptians began making tombs during  the Early Dynastic Period (c.1350-c.2613 BCE). Each tomb held formerly high ranking members of Egyptian society such as regional rulers, priest and pharaohs. In these tombs were tangible items to help the decea sed on their passage to  the afterlife such as food and household goods. However these supplies were also left in the tomb in other forms, painted or carved into elaborate displays on tomb walls.  Egyptian tomb art was believed to be the bridge of contact between the dead and the living. Paintings were pivotal as they entombed the deceased's spirit, and were to aid alongside the mummified person in their voyage to the afterlife. The artworks were produced for functionality rather than vanity and were intended to be pri...
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