explore | Grilled Cheese

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 8, 2026, 7:01 PM

Grasshopper Throne
carved stone
c. 1350-1500 CE
Purépecha culture
Michoacán, Mexico

#handmade #carved #stone #grasshopper #design #throne #chair #purépecha #culture #michoacán #mexico #mesoamerica #ancientmexico #ancientart #ancientsculpture #sculpture #art #precolumbian #prehispanic #elite #ruler

The Purépecha are an indigenous people centered in the highlands of Michoacán, Mexico, historically renowned for successfully resisting the Aztec Empire and mastering early bronze and copper metallurgy.
Formed a powerful pre-Columbian state around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Defeated the Aztecs in the 1470s and maintained independence until Spanish forces arrived in the 1530s.
Built distinct stepped pyramids known as yácatas.
Language is Purépecha (historically called Tarascan), an isolate language not clearly related to surrounding Mesoamerican tongues.
Traditional arts include advanced metalwork, distinctive woodcraft, and pottery deeply tied to festivals like the Day of the Dead.
Traditional religious beliefs centered on deities like Kurikaweri (sky and war god) and Kwerawáperi (earth mother), which blended with Roman Catholicism over time.
Most members live in Michoacán, with vibrant populations in towns like Cherán, Paracho, and Pátzcuaro.
Growing diaspora communities exist across the United States and Mexican urban centers due to agricultural migration and economic shifts.

@psychicrevue.bsky.social Sep 8, 2026, 6:43 PM

Ancient Iranian art features prominently in the 1981 book, 'Art In The Ancient World.' Here's one example from the many illustrations of historic Persian art that seems a metaphor for the current ongoing, so-called "Military Conflict" with Iran. #booksky #AncientArt.

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 7, 2026, 3:47 PM

Ixiim Maize God Vessel
jade mosaic on wood
c. 800 CE
Maya culture
Tikal, Guatemala

#handmade #carved #jadeite #jade #mosaic #wood #core
#Ixiim #godofMaize #ceremonial #vessel #Tikal #king #Yik'inChanK'awiil #Maya #culture #precolumbian #precolumbianjade #art #ancientart #mayanjade #burial #offering

Pictured is an 8th-century Maya anthropomorphic jade mosaic vessel unearthed from Burial 196 in the ancient city of Tikal, Guatemala.
The artifact is built over a wooden core.
Artisans attached thin jadeite plates using tiny jade pins to create a seamless mosaic surface.
The detailed face and elaborate headdress represent the Maya Maize God (Ixiim). This deity symbolizes agricultural renewal, rebirth, and the eternal cycle of life.
This luxury object dates to the Late Classic period. It is linked to the reign of the powerful Tikal king Yik'in Chan K'awiil.
You can view similar royal collections at the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala City.

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 7, 2026, 3:05 PM

Golden Monkey Head
gold, copper, gemstones
c. 100-400 CE
Moche (Mochica) culture
Peru

#handmade #gold #copper #chrysocolla #sodalite #turquoise #shell #mokeyhead #cabezademono #moche #mochica #culture #peru #precolumbian #ancientart #art #bead #pendant #ancientjewelry #wearableart #prehhispanic

A famous ancient pre-Columbian artifact known as the Moche Golden Monkey
Head (or Cabeza de Mono). It is an exceptional masterpiece of metallurgy crafted by the Moche civilization (also called Mochica) of northern Peru, dating to approximately 100-
400 AD.
Type & Function: Rather than a mask, this object is a large necklace pendant bead designed to be strung with other elaborate jewelry.
Dimensions: It is relatively small, measuring approximately 1¾ inches high by 2¼ inches wide.
Materials: It is finely modeled from gold and copper alloy (tumbaga). The eyes are made of green chrysocolla and shell, the nose is crafted from blue sodalite (or lapis lazuli), and traces of turquoise remain inside the mouth.
Interactive Design: The bead features an open mouth with visible teeth and a tongue. Inside the hollow structure is a small metallic ball that creates a rattling sound when moved.
In the Moche religion and worldview, forest animals like the capuchin monkey were highly revered. They were believed to occupy a
transitional or intermediate space between the human realm and sacred spirits.
Elaborate funerary jewelry like this bead was reserved exclusively for the elite ruling class and nobility to demonstrate their divine authority and wealth.

@thesidekick2025.bsky.social Sep 5, 2026, 3:19 PM

#HandprintsToAIArt #EdgeOfHumanityMagazine #VisualArtsBlog #ArtHistory #EarlyChristianArt #ChristianArt #HistoryOfArt #AncientArt #RomanEmpire #Constantine #EdictOfMilan #Catacombs #Basilica #ReligiousArt #ArtEducation