{"id":894,"date":"2017-08-07T05:34:49","date_gmt":"2017-08-07T05:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/course.oeru.org\/art103\/?page_id=894"},"modified":"2017-08-07T05:34:49","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T05:34:49","slug":"politics-conflict-and-war","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/art103\/learning-pathways\/art-and-our-world\/politics-conflict-and-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics, conflict and war"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Conflict<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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The experiences of politics, conflict and war have been represented in works of art for thousands of years. They become documents, signifiers and symbols for power, remembrance, culture and national pride.\n<\/p>\n

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Assyrian, Lammasu<\/i>, the Human Headed Winged Bull, 721-705 BCE. Carved stone, Oriental Institute Museum, Unviersity of Chicago, Chicago<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An ancient symbol of this power is the sculpture of Lammasu <\/i>, a protective spirit carved into a massive bas-relief into the main gate of the Assyrian<\/a> court nearly two thousand years ago. The figure has the head of a man, the body of a bull and the wings of an eagle. <\/p>\n



\nIn another subtler example but with no less visual effect, a ceramic Standing Male Warrior <\/i>from the Mayan culture<\/a> of Central America looks out at the viewer in a stance of informal attention. The figure is only eleven inches high but gives us a trove of information about how Mayan soldiers dressed for battle. A thick vest with detailed patterning covers his torso. A necklace with heavy cupped objects (possibly sea or turtle shells) protects his upper body. The thick belt and loincloth at his waist and the strong bracelets on each wrist add to his protection. The round earrings are typical Mayan accessories. The fingers of his right hand are slightly curled as if he held a club or spear at one time.\n<\/p>\n

For all the restrained beauty in the sculpture, the warrior\u2019s shield and helmet dominate the composition. The shield, held at ease just above the figure\u2019s foot, is embellished with a centralized mask and radiating scallops around the outer edge. The whole shield looks battered and bent from use. The helmet is in the form of an eagle or hawk\u2019s head, surrounded by a heavy necklace of rectangular bars. Vestiges of paint still cling to parts of the sculpture, and it\u2019s easy to imagine how colorful it would have first appeared.\n<\/p>\n

Compare the Standing Male Warrior <\/i>to the Terracotta Army <\/i>from China. Discovered in 1974 and dating to the second century BCE, the Chinese figures, all life size, stand in neat rows to guard the nearby tomb of Emperor Qin. In this instance the idea of power and preservation of order is carried into the afterlife. Each soldier\u2019s face is modeled as an individual and their armored robes show lots of detail and patterning. Similar to the Mayan figure, their right hands are curled to hold a club, spear or other kind of weapon.\n<\/p>\n