1. Form
1.1. This “formalist” approach tried to identify principles of composition, such as organic unity among diverse elements, balance reflecting a sense of symmetry, recurring shapes, and so on, that should apply regardless of whatever might be represented.(86)
1.1.1. These are the factors to identify a piece of art as a formalist whether it's primitive art, fine arts, and visual arts .This is to shown to the audience that every small details on artifacts have purpose to contribute to the whole meaing of the object.
1.1.1.1. Burt, Ben. World Art : An Introduction to the Art in Artefacts, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
1.2. In the clan histories, people encountered such creatures living as if they were humans, as in the earliest times before humans and other creatures became distinct, and as still experienced in dreams and visions.(93)
1.2.1. In the past, the indegiouns people believe before them there are creatures that dominance this world. This hold a belief that these creatures are still around because people have dreams and fears them. This explains why in the primitive time there are many types of rituals
1.3. Lévi-Strauss began by criticizing the defciencies of prevailing difusionist approaches to primitive art for drawing conclusions from analogies between separate cultural traditions on the basis of poor methodology and weak evidence.(90)
1.3.1. At the time, connoisseurs usually compare other culture based on the similarities. However, even that culture is diffusion from other culture, but over that culture can over to a different type of art based on their perspective of life
2. The Work of Art
2.1. In terms of visual art— that is, artefacts— it has been distinguished from aesthetics; the appreciation of formal beauty that appeals to the senses rather than stimulating the imagination or elevating the mind.(141)
2.1.1. In Western art, there are many forms of art however these arts are usually determine by the visuals more than implant a meaning behind it. Majority of arts in Western are mean for decorating rather than letting the audience interpert their imagination toward it
2.2. It is when the conceptual values are combined with the sensuous ones in such ways that the efect is indeed what Western art critics describe as elevating, as their concept of fne art is intended to be.(145)
2.2.1. Western definition of art include literature,dance, music, painting, and sculpture. Metaphor is used to symbolzie meaning through poetry, and speech. Rhymth, flowy, melody, body movement are features the artitst apply in their work based on personal identity
2.3. Patterns engage and trap the mind; hence they attract people to them and attach people to artefacts as possessions that continue to engage attention and become part of the owner’s personal identity.(148)
2.3.1. the patterns of art can be viewed as protection. it shows to the audience the complexicty of the art because when designing a maze it requires intellectual aspect.
3. Meaning
3.1. In this “semiotic” approach to culture, visual signs can be interpreted, like speech, from an understanding of the underlying language or code.(98)
3.1.1. Some details can be obvious to the audience. Some can be read as metaphor. Majority of the arts have a meaning behind it not just all the details can be understand from looking at it. emerge yourself to the culture to see the people interpretation.
3.1.1.1. Burt, Ben. World Art : An Introduction to the Art in Artefacts, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
3.2. The designs were dominated by a few motifs, especially a pointed oval called “belly,” often combined with M and W shapes to form the body, arms, and legs of a squatting human figure.(107)
3.2.1. It's usually an image of a woman squatting. At the time, the woman role is to give birth while the man go out hunt and making all the rituals which . The men see this as the power of women, so making artifacts is to highlight the value of the women
3.3. Heraldry
3.3.1. When the British use shield motifs to display inscriptions, formalized mythical animals as trademarks, imitation coats of arms to ornament domestic goods, and even badges for their clubs and letterheads, they are drawing, more or less, on the artistic tradition of heraldry and its connotations of tradition and quality associated with cultural conservatism and inherited status.(102)
3.3.1.1. the rank is usually determine by the helmet including the coronet beneath the helmet. Creatures are place either on the shield or outside holding the shield. The motto is used to implied characrteiets. Changings there factors in heraldry can signify different meanings based on the creator. The heraldry is used to portray marriage, inheritance, and military
4. Performance
4.1. Costume is a virtually universal way of distinguishing men from women, and in taking the dominant public roles, men have used the most elaborate ways of differentiating their rank and status.(112)
4.1.1. A the time, we can acknowledge the men is always the one who do the hard works to contribute to the society and the women aren't allowed to participate. Most of the rituals are hosted by older men and these men are distinguished by their ranks and social status
4.2. They put on bands and combs patterned with bright red and yellow fbres, rings, pins and pendants of glistening white shell and pearlshell, intricately carved plaques and rings of turtleshell, strings and straps of valuable red, white and black money beads and dolphin teeth, and coloured and scented leaves.(113)
4.2.1. All these maritearls can be considered as currency because they are used to trades for goods,services, and contracts. some shells rings, pendants could be inherited from ancestors to hold that spiritual value
4.3. The stones used by offcials were also strictly regulated according to rank, as was the size of the setting. In 1736 it was decreed that rubies were to be used by ofcials of the first to third ranks, sapphires by fourth-rank ofcials, crystals by ffthto sixth-rank ofcials, and gold
4.3.1. In China's court, the king have his chair made out of gold to make it's significance. The Chinese use materials of the stones to identify ranks in the courts while the british use badges and pins.
5. Archaeology
5.1. the ceramics form a code, a cohesive “text” of signs and symbols; when deciphered, the “text” of this pictorial language reveals that the Nasca, like other Indian peoples of the Americas, believed that there was an active, sacred relationship between man and nature.(129)
5.1.1. Ceramic pots usually present scenary of ritual or ceremony. At first, it was hard to identify what the image showing until the connoisseur draw it out on paper. these pots also use to bury with the deceased because these are the people who particapte in rituals and have earn certain ranks in the village.
5.1.1.1. AKA Sacrifice Ceremony
5.2. Lunar months were marked by sacrifces appropriate to the seasons of the solar year, meeting a vital obligation to maintain the circulation of life-force or power among living things, ancestral spirits, and personifcations of the environment.(132)
5.2.1. The Inca belives in the circulation of life because when there are supernatatural things happen like rain, thunder, and winds are the deties doing to show that they are angry at the people. Doing ritual is the only way to pray for the better day or wishing for goods weather for argiculture
5.3. As Christians, they revere the ancient god of the earth as a devil who guards the mines and mineworkers, and celebrate such spiritual forces in an annual carnival.(137)
5.3.1. In the Andes society, they are still considered as salvaages. Children around 15- 16 years old have to for mines field. This the reason why worship the ancient god of earth like it's their protection
5.3.1.1. YouTube. (2012). YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjSyZhIIiw&t=110s .