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Monte Albán: Stone Sculpture

Many rulers are named in the hieroglyphic inscriptions that appear on the carvings; the inscriptions too detail the very competitive nature of Oaxaca society at the time.

Related

Cited Works of Art or Images (3)

• 
• 
• 

Timelines (3)

• Mexico, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
• Mexico, 1–500 A.D.
• Mexico, 500–1000 A.D.

Primary Thematic Essays (7)

• Aztec Stone Sculpture
• Cerro Sechin: Stone Sculpture
• La Venta: Stone Sculpture
• Monte Alban
• Monte Alban: Sacred Architecture
• Monte Alban: Stone Sculpture
• Tikal: Stone Sculpture

Other Thematic Essays (14)

• Cerro Sechin
• Great Plains Indians Musical Instruments
• La Venta
• La Venta: Sacred Architecture
• Prehistoric Stone Sculpture from New Guinea
• Tenochtitlan
• Tenochtitlan: Templo Mayor
• Teotihuacan
• Teotihuacan: Ciudadela
• Teotihuacan: Mural Painting
• Teotihuacan: Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon
• Tikal
• Tikal: Sacred Architecture
• The Year One

Maps (2)

• Mesoamerica and Central America, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.
• World, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.

Index Terms (12)

Art Movement/Style

• Huastec Art of the Americas
• Monte Albán Art of the Americas
• Veracruz Art of the Americas

Geography/Place

• Mexico

Material and Technique

• Relief Sculpture from Central America

Object

• Secular Architecture from Central America

Subject Matter/Theme

• Archaeology from Central America
• Feline
• Funerary Art from Central America
• Hieroglyphs
• Ruler from Central America
• Warrior

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The stone sculpture of Monte Albán is worked primarily in low relief on slabs that were used as architectural elements such as wall facings, stair treads, and door jambs, the latter frequently on tombs. A tradition for warrior imagery, particularly images of defeated captives as in the so-called Danzante sculptures, began early in the region and had a long history at the hilltop urban center. Depictions of rulers in various ceremonial and/or costumed guises include references to their exploits as warriors and conquerors. Many rulers are named in the hieroglyphic inscriptions that appear on the carvings; the inscriptions too detail the very competitive nature of Oaxaca society at the time. A number of monuments feature a ruler named 12 Jaguar, who inaugurated his reign—perhaps in the third century—with the dedication of the great South Platform. His carved stones were placed into the facing of the pyramid and included scenes of visitors from the powerful central Mexico city of Teotihuacan. The hieroglyphic inscriptions on the sculptures refer to 12 Jaguar's right to rule, among other topics. The stones themselves could be reused by the carving of alternate faces, and by moving them to different locations. At one time or another, some of the carved reliefs may have been grouped to form a kind of narrative scene.

Mortuary practices at Monte Albán were complex, with much attention directed to the embellishment of the tombs themselves. Walls were elaborated with stucco and stone sculpture, and decorated with murals. Paired door jambs, facing out from the tomb, had well-carved reliefs that were particularly significant.

Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation

Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. "Monte Albán: Stone Sculpture". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/alban3/hd_alban3.htm (October 2001)

Further Reading

Marcus, Joyce, and Kent V. Flannery. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico's Oaxaca Valley. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1996.