Art, Shamanism and Spirituality
4Winds|TRANSDISCIPLINARY SPACE
By Ana María Llamazares
Pre-Hispanic Art in Argentina
Early origins in Patagonia
The earliest expressions of indigenous art in Argentina are cave paintings inhabited by hunter-gatherers some 10,000 years ago. There are many of these in Patagonia, though in most cases access is difficult. The most famous site is La Cueva de las Manos, in Santa Cruz province, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999; here the images of hundreds of hands can be seen, created by applying paint around the hand itself. There are also paintings further south in the caves at Punta Gualicho, on the edge of Lago Argentino, near Calafate. Ancient Indigenous artists also left their mark in northwestern Argentina.
Guanacos and hands painted in negative technique from Cueva de la Manos, Pinturas River, Santa Cruz.
Photos: Roberto R. Cinti.
The Northwestern region (NOA)
In Northwestern Argentina the sedentary agricultural cultures have left numerous archeological remains of artistic value: stone sculptures, ceramics, metal work, mainly bronze and gold, and, after the Inca conquest, textiles, leather masks, wood, feathers, and work with chaquiras (small pieces of shells) and glass beads.
During the first centuries AD the early planters in the western valleys of the provinces of Tucumán and Catamarca were experts in working granite. The most complex of these works were made by the Alamito culture and were known as “supplicants”, a reference to the position of the figures with their arms and faces looking up and imploring or pleading. These carvings, heavily polished, are schematic representations of humans with some zoomorphological traces. Their originality lies in the high level of abstraction, found both in the lines and the spaces which make them resemble modern sculptures. The best known can be seen in the Museo de Ciencias Naturales in La Plata where authorized replicas are sold, as well as in the Museo Adán Quiroga in Catamarca.
Granite stone sculpture of the Early period called "supplicant". Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires. Photo taken from "Pre-Columbian Art of Argentina" Alberto Rex González. (Valero Filmediciones 1977))
Stone mask representing a human face lined with snakes. Juan B. Ambrosetti Ethnographic Museum, Buenos Aires. Photo: Roberto R. Cinti.
Other important examples of early works in stone include: masks in the form of the human faces, probably used as funeral offerings; mortars or ceremonial vessels, decorated with human and feline motifs, which were used to prepare psycheactive substances; and the menhires or standing stones, found in circles and ceremonial sites, these were originally painted and carved on one of their faces.
Mortar or ceremonial vessel with human-felíne patterns in relief, surely destined to grind and prepare psychoactive substances used in shamanic rituals.
Museo de La Plata. Photo taken from "Pre-Columbian Art Argentina"
Alberto Rex González. (Valero Filmediciones 1977)
Cylindrical monoliths or menhirs that formed circles and ceremonial grounds. originally painted
andengraved on one of its faces with geometric and stylized human faces.
They have now been relocated to the Parc des menhirs in Tucuman. Photos: Roberto R. Cinti.
The most common expression of indigenous art in the northwest is, without doubt, ceramic work, which is found in numerous forms, techniques and styles throughout the 2,000 years of cultural development, from the origins of the agricultural societies (BC 550)
right up to the Spanish conquest. In the early or formative period we can find numerous styles, outstanding among which are
La Candelaria and Condorhuasi, both of which produced vessels representing hybrids of humans and animals. Those of
La Candelaria are in the form of globes, grey or black in colour, while those in Condorhuasi are red with a complex geometric decoration painted in black and white.
Taken from: Tesoros precolombinos del Noroeste argentino. pp. 54-55.
Museo de Arte HispanoamericanoIsaac Fernández Blanco y Fundación Ceppa. Buenos Aires. 2006
A great artistic display from the indigenous Northwest happened as part of the culture of La Aguada during the Integration or
Middle period (450 -1000 AD).Exceptionally beautiful pieces were produced in the Valley of Ambato, north of the capital of Catamarca province and place of origin of this culture. We can observe a remarkable iconography inspired by shamanic visions in pots
coloured in black or light brick colour with a highly polished texture. These are the images that constitute the basic set of
mythic themes and symbols of the Andean world: felines with open jaws and enormous claws, human figures carrying weapons
and banners, wearing complex headdresses and costumes, sometimes carrying on one hand a “trophy head” and in the other
a sacrificial ceremonial axe – surely representations of chiefs, shamans or deities-; and we can also observe a variety of lizards,
frogs, snakes and birds; usually accompanied by symbols and geometric decorations
Ceramic vessels from Aguada culture, light brown and black polished Ambato style
with representations of shamanic or visionary art. Photo: Ana M. Llamazares
The same imagery is also found in the rock-art paintings of the Ancasti region and La Candelaria cave, in the province of Catamarca, and on metal objects, especially on ceremonial axes and bronze plaques or discs, as the renowned "Disco Lafone Quevedo“.
“The dancer”: emblematic image of La Tunita site, Catamarca. It depicts a stylized human figure with a felínic mask decorated with white paint and red paint accents. Photo: Andrés Barragán
"Lafone Quevedo" disc, made of metal with complex iconography achieved with the lost wax method
(wax mold melts with the metal casting). The anthropomorphic figure appears accompanied by two felines
on his shoulders and two lizards at his feet. Museo de La Plata. Photo taken from Arte, estructura y arqueología
[Art, structure and archeology] by Alberto Rex González, revised by Alejandro Fiadone. (La Marca Editora 2007)
From the first millennium onwards the indigenous societies of the northwest became much more militarized, experiencing first Inca domination and annexation to the Inca state in 1490, and then, from the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish invasion and conquest. Although the making of weapons and defensive constructions dominated, some of these societies, notably that of the valley of Santa María, north of Catamarca, are best remembered for their artistic work, the famous Santa María urns. It is clear, from their abundance and their high artistic quality that these were commercialized. These urns, originally used for the burial of children, may be found in museums throughout the world: richly painted with a variety of geometric and natural motifs in black, white and red. One of the treasures of the Museo Etnográfico in Buenos Aires is a “Quiroga urn”, made in the same style which has, along with the customary twisted neck, an image of a person playing the panpipes.
Santamaria urn and detail of the decoration in the shape
of stylized human face. Photo: Roberto R. Cinti.
The famous "Quiroga" urn, one of the "treasures" of the Ethnographic Museum in Buenos Aires. Along with the typical santamarianos features,
its peculiarity is the presence of a character modeled playing a Pan flute and carrying in his chest an Andean cross. Photo taken from "Pre-Columbian Art Argentina" Alberto Rex González. (Valero Filmediciones 1977)
The famous "Quiroga" urn, one of the "treasures"
of the Ethnographic Museum in Buenos Aires. Along with the typical santamarianos features, its peculiarity is the presence of a character modeled playing a
Pan flute and carrying in his chest an Andean cross. Photo taken from "Pre-Columbian Art Argentina" Alberto Rex González. (Valero Filmediciones 1977)
The metal work of this period is also outstanding: discs, axes, bells and other pieces finely decorated with human faces outlined with very simple lines, people with shields and serpents with two heads, all decorated in red.
Rock-art cathedrals in the North and Central Argentina
At Inca Cueva, near Humahuaca, painting simple geometric motifs with a small brush or directly with the hands, in red, black and white; there were executed by hunter-gatherers who lived here some 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. In the main cave, archeologists have been able to reconstruct a large pictorial sequence lasting some 10,000 years and stretching from the first geometric paintings to those which record the encounter of the indigenous with the Spanish conquistadores, images of strangely dressed armed horsemen which contrast with the simple representations of men with feathers in their hands, bows and arrows in their hands and leading llamas and alpacas.
One of the most important collections of cave paintings in the country is Cerro Colorado in the north of the province of Córdoba. There are hundreds of sites with more than 30,000 motifs distributed on the walls and roofs. Among the great variety of figures are battle scenes between indigenous peoples, dressed in feathers and armed with bows and arrows, and Spaniards, represented by horsemen with lances, swords and boots. This is one of the few places in the country where the indigenous peoples’ view of the conquistadores can be seen. These images, dating from the middle of the 16th century, were made by the ancestors of the Comenchingones.
Cave Paintings of Cerro Colorado, Córdoba, representing a fight scene between indigenous archers
and conquerors on horseback. Detail of a human figure, possibly a shaman, with dotted gown and feather
on his head. Photos: Roberto R. Cinti.
Another famous natural and cultural site is the Canyon of Talampaya in the province of La Rioja. There have been left curious rock-art engravings, including flashy "butterflies-men", human figures wearing large headdresses, shaped wings and antennae, that emerge in the red-hot colour rock, recorded on the high walls or “paredones” in the desert.
"Butterfly-men", human figures with large wings, carved in a Talampaya’s canyon rock, La Rioja.
Photo: Roberto R. Cinti.
Peoples of the South
Southwest, in the province of Neuquén, is the territory of the mapuche, who crossed the Andes from Chile during the 18th century. Experts in various arts, they are noted particularly for their textiles, with its complex and coloured geometric motifs, for their silver-work including breastplates, earrings and brooches worn by women during fiestas and ceremonies, and for the wooden carvings which generally imitate the severe faces which can be found on the rehues, (trunks which form part of the altars used in shamanic rituals). Contemporary expressions of these artistic traditions can still be found.
"Rehue" or ceremonial trunk with steps where the machi climbed up while on his shamanic journey. Detail of carved human face. Juan B. Ambrosetti Ethnographic Museum, Buenos Aires. Photo taken from “Culturas Indígenas de la Patagonia” [Indigenous Cultures from Patagonia], Ediciones del V Centenario (1992) and Mapuches del Neuquén [Mapuches from Neuquén], Luz Editora (2000)
The rest of the Patagonia was inhabited for millennia by Tehueches and their ancestors, nomadic people who practiced hunting and gathering. The most characteristic art expression is their rock art ranging from ancient “negative handsprints” and guanaco hunting scenes to the most recent styles of human and animal footprints and paintings of "grecas" (Greek type guards) and mazes made bright colors, especially in red and white.
Late rock-art styles in Patagonia. Geometric lines engraved in "grecas" style in the Paredones on Pichileufú River, Río Negro province. A small puma footprint engraved on the site Posadas Lake, Santa Cruz province.
Photos: Ana Maria Llamazares
Geometric representation similar to a pony leather shape painted in Abrigo Comallo, Río Negro province. Photos: Ana María Llamazares.
Painted shelter with late geometric styles in Lake Traful, Neuquén. Photo: Roberto R. Cinti
Zoo-anthropomorphic figure with a feline footprint from Puerto Ghisalberti, Santa Cruz.
Photo: Carlos Martínez Sarasola
Tehuelche stone bouble “clava” (axe) engraved with geometric designs in “grecas” style. Photo taken from Culturas Indígenas de la Patagonia”
[Indigenous Cultures from Patagonia],
Ediciones del V Centenario (1992)
The same geometric decoration is painted in the quillangos (guanaco, pony or sheep skins), used as cloaks and inside awnings or “toldos” (leather huts); and in remarkable stone pieces shaped as ceremonial axes or “clavas”.
Geometric paintings on pony leather, representing a design of long rows of human figures,
likely to be the representation of lineages. Museo de La Plata.
In the far southern end, Selknam or Onas from the territory of Tierra del Fuego, painted their bodies with linear and pointed signs of extreme simplicity and drama, to perform complex rituals. You can see Mapuche, Tehuelches and Onas pieces in the Museo Provincial de Bariloche (especially painted skins or “quillangos”) and in the Museo Etnográfico de Buenos Aires (especially stepped trunks or “rehues”) and also in the Museo of Ushuahia.
Body painting of selkman or onas. Original photograph taken by Martin Gusinde, (from “Culturas Indígenas de la Patagonia” [Indigenous Cultures from Patagonia], Ediciones del V Centenario (1992). Recreations of the body paintings by Martín Gusinde (“The indigenous from Tierra del Fuego”, 1931) in the drawings by Alejandro Fiadone (from “500 pre-Columbian designs from Argentina”, La Marca 2009).
Some texts come from the article "Arte precolombino de la Argentina", by Ana María Llamazares. (Published in English as part of the Footprint Argentina Handbook. Charlie Nurse (Ed.) Footprints Handbooks 2000, Bath, England). Some of the photos that illustrate this section are part of the Image Bank from the Fundcación desde América. We thank Roberto R. Cinti and Andrés Barragan for allowing us the use their photographs.