Savage Happiness

Formally stated, Newton’s third law of motion is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law can easily be applied to everyday life. If we lived in a world with a sun never hidden from us, by storm clouds or other means, we would be incapable of knowing what a “clear” day is. To us, it would just be “A Day,” indifferent to us and everything else. In Brave New World, there is a civilized society in which no one experiences sadness. They are civilized, and they are happy, therefore they experience civilized happiness. What of the rest of us? I experience both sadness and happiness; in some instances, the emotion is so strong I forget I am capable of feeling the other. Experiencing sadness is the prerequisite to gratitude. We need opposing forces in our lives. Happiness is one thing, but gratitude for that happiness is arguably more important than the emotion itself. This is called savage happiness.

Brave New World defines individual happiness by the ability to satisfy needs. Whether the need be physical, mental, or sexual, any and all needs are instantaneously met with easy solutions such. It sounds like the perfect situation but the question still arises, is it genuine? To achieve this, all the civilized humans sacrificed their ability to recognize beauty, to feel love, to know God. Surviving while remaining “happy” is what they do. That is not real living. We live through experience, not by satisfying our needs. We need the struggle in order to recognize peace. It’s all a balance between opposing forces, one constant force is impossible. We can’t be grateful if we don’t have a reason to be.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World defines communal happiness by the ability to achieve perfection. Perfection is the condition of being as free as possible from all flaws and defects. They accomplish this by sacrificing families, mothers, fathers, instead fertilizing eggs in tubes and pre-determining the life of each individual. This makes life more efficient, because children are raised and conditioned by the state, eliminating all conflict that is derived from opinion, because everyone has the same opinions on everything. However, in our world we think for ourselves, we have original thoughts, and that is unquestionably a better way of living. Conflict can be healthy in terms of debates and constructive criticism, one person’s idea of “perfection” eliminating these things all together. We can’t be grateful if we don’t have conflict to remind us to be grateful.

The balance that we need and rely on so much is not present in Brave New World. We are savage, and this savagery is defined as uncivilized, both in the novel Brave New World and in our world. The novel goes on to define a savage as someone who accepts the right to be unhappy, the right to have cancer, the right to love and be loved, the right to be “one of us,” so to speak. We have the right to be savage, however in Brave New World, it is only a privilege. We are allowed to have science, to have Newton’s laws which in turn apply to every aspect of living. So yes, our world isn’t brave, isn’t new, but it’s real, and it’s savage. We are all savages following Newton’s laws of motion by feeling happiness, sadness, and a plethora of other emotions that don’t even have names. Our individual ability to experience life is much more valuable than ever-lasting happiness, more valuable than perfection. We all experience savage happiness, and we should hope that that doesn’t change.

Uncle Sam Propaganda Opticc Report

This poster is important to the Contemporary time period, 1900 CE-Present, because it represents the political and social structures of this time period, nationalism and militarism. It is important that people recognize that this poster represents the war-related propaganda in the United States near the beginning of this time period. This portrait of “Uncle Sam” is relevant today because it went on to become–according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg–“the most famous poster in the world.” Most people are able to associate this poster to this time period, making it a great symbol of the Contemporary time period.

Overview- This poster focuses on Uncle Sam, with a few words about joining the U.S. Army. This poster is trying to encourage young men to enlist themselves into the army. It portrays joining the army as fulfilling one’s duty, making it propaganda.

Parts- The most noticeable part of this poster is Uncle Sam, pointing at the viewer. He has a stern look on his face, giving his message a more serious, important tone. Below his portrait are the words “I Want YOU For U.S. Army / Nearest Recruiting Station,” which are directed at the viewer. The poster is bordered with red, white, and blue stripes, and on that note, the entire poster follows the same color scheme, bearing the United States’ colors. His star spangled hat, his red bow tie, his blue jacket, he symbolizes the U.S. with the intention of being eye-catching.

Title- Originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie’s Weekly, this image had the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?,” which perfectly represents the message this poster is trying to convey. The title tells the reader that the poster will probably suggest something that they can do in order to be “prepared” as the title states. The title is therefore suggesting that to be fully prepared for war, one must enlist in the army and defend their country.

Interpretation- This poster is meant to depict the political and social ideals of this time. The message of this poster is simple: Join the army, it is the most honorable choice. We can justify that it is honorable because it is none other than Uncle Sam who needs us. Also, because the title asks us what are we doing to be prepared, this poster isn’t necessarily only aimed at people who can join the army right away. For example, it may also be targeting young boys, planting the idea in their heads now that in the future they should join the army. It also plants the idea in other people that can’t join the army, that they should still be doing something to be prepared for war.

Context- In all of the Great powers, military spending increased greatly in the years prior to the war. The rivalry between the powers to have the best military led to a building up of weapons and an increase in distrust. Allied to this growing militarism was an intense nationalism in most of the Great powers. The desire for world power status was very popular in Germany. The French desire for revenge over Alsace and Lorraine was very strong. In Britain, Imperialism and support for the Empire was very evident. This nationalism meant that there was little resistance to war in these countries. Russia was very nationalistic, their slavic culture brought the citizens together. On the same note, Russia was willing to defend other Slavic peoples from different nations, so when Austria-Hungary declared war on the Slavic state of Serbia, the Soviet Union stepped in, hoping to defend and gain control over the Balkan States. Thus, World War I began in 1914, and the United States stood idly by until 1917. Over four million copies of this Uncle Sam propaganda were printed between 1917 and 1918, starting when the United States entered World War I, allied with the Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia, along with Italy who also joined late like the U.S.) and began sending troops and materials into war zones.

Conclusion- This poster depicts the ideals shared by the Great powers at the beginning of this time period, and consequently, the ideals of most nations today. It shows that the government was trying to encourage its citizens to join the Army, and that propaganda was popular and widely used. This is important to what we are studying because this Uncle Sam poster is directly caused by a major event, World War I, and is also direct evidence of the militarism and nationalism that presented themselves in the early 1900s and have continued since then to present day.

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri Opticc Report

This painting by George Caleb Bingham is important to the Modern Period, 1750-1900 CE, because it refers to trade, settlement, the (new) nation’s north-south axis—the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers—and the issue of race in America. It is important that people recognize that this painting represents the Modern Period in America because the issues this painting deals with were all large factors in the life of an American at this time. This painting is relevant today because it shows how native and foreign American inhabitants along the upper reaches of the Missouri drifted toward the embrace of the modern, urbanized world, making it a great reference to the start of the Modern Period.

Overview- This painting is a beautiful scene of fur traders traveling down the Missouri River, and it can be read from left to right—against the flow of the Missouri—from the native bear cub chained to the boat’s prow, to the man at the stern, a straight line from the beast to civilized humanity. This image symbolizes the path to the Modern Period.

Parts- The most noticeable part in this piece is the boat with the fur traders on it, and I’ve separated it into three parts, the bear, the boy, and the man. The native bear cub will probably be sold for it’s fur, and we later see that the boy rests on the fur pelts; fur trade being a large part of the economy. The man at the stern of the boat stares at the viewer with a somewhat sad expression, whereas the young man appears content. We can also see the young man holds a rifle and there is a dead duck laying beside him, suggesting he has recently shot the duck with said rifle, and is smiling perhaps because he is content with his shot. The river they float in is the Missouri. There is a rock jutting out from the water as well as some branches, adding a more naturesque feel to the river. There appears to be an island or land with trees behind the subjects, all of which is blanketed by a cloudy, yet not gloomy, sky.

Native Bear Cub

Young Man/Son

Man/Trader

Title- The title of this piece is Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, which explains that this piece focuses on a large part of America’s economy. George Bingham himself called the picture “French-Trader—Half Breed Son,” emphasizing the painting’s racial exoticism. However, the managers of the American Art-Union in New York, where he sent it for exhibition, chose to show it under its present title, which transformed the trader and his son into generalized western types. Both titles, previous and current, prepare the viewer to expect fur traders on the surface, but a great history lying hidden  in the depths of the Missouri river they travel on.

Interpretation- This entire image shows much more than a trader and his son, it shows a history of revolutions and the mixing of races, etc. The bear cub is a symbol for humanity’s wilder past, and as explained in the overview, the maturity progresses on the boat as we look from left to right. The native cub also symbolizes the movement of natives into new unknown places; this black bear cub will probably be sold for its fur, which could also symbolize the slavery still occurring in the beginning of Modern America.  The boy is a symbol of the newly independent United States of America, as he is called “mixed-race” by Bingham, the adolescent exemplifies the mixing of races, although what really happened is most natives were moved to reservations. The man is a symbol of the older generations during this time period, his solemn expression perhaps represents the revolutions and wars he has witnessed occur. The message of this piece of art is that The United States have entered a period of modernization where the best is yet to come.

Context- This painting takes place along the Missouri River in North America, shortly after The United State’s fight for and declaration of independence from the British. The States have a history with the fur trade, dating back to their colonial times when they were still ruled by the British royalty. The French also participated in the fur trade, as many beavers were in Canada where they hunted for fur, which explains why Bingham described the traders to have French origins. It is quite possible after the Seven Years War that occurred during this time period these fur traders’ family became citizens of the American Colonies, and later during the American Revolution, citizens of the United States. This time period involves revolutions all around the world, the most successful being the French Revolution. The Haitians also experienced a revolution in which the slaves expelled all the Blancs— both grand and petite— as they called them, from the island, but it eventually caused their economic and political systems to weaken. All of these revolutions were leading to a more modernized world, and they were caused by the Enlightenment, which was when everyone started thinking differently yet again.

Conclusion- This painting depicts two humble fur traders expanding their ancient world into a modern one. It shows that the artists of this time were recognizing the great changes the revolutions had led to, and that Bingham in particular believed these changes were leading to a more sophisticated, mature world. This is important to what we are studying because it highlights a major part of the economy at this time period and hints at the revolutions occurring during this time period.

 

Surviving Death

Dying once is enough for most, Malinalli on the other hand, had to die over and over again. At the very start of her life she proved she could survive anything. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and mouth, serpent-like, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. She died at the age of five when her mother sold her heart’s freedom for much less than one pays for quetzal feathers. She was reborn as Marina, and then Marina died when she met Cortes, and La Malinche was born in the hands of Cortes. Malinalli stayed alive within Marina, La Malinche, The Tongue. Malinalli remained herself in every new life she was thrown in.

Mother knows best, that’s what everyone always says, but when your mother thinks she should sell you as a slave because your dad died, maybe Grandmother knows best. Malinalli’s abuela remained her sanity, her happiness. She saw at the start of Malinalli’s life that she would be a survivor for the rest of her time, as she “sensed that the girl was destined to lose everything so that she might gain everything.,” on page 5. Her grandmother saw even more without the use of her eyes, and she was right when she saw that Malinalli would experience great losses in order to experience true happiness. Malinalli’s first loss was her freedom, but she survived with the help of her gods, and the morning star. “From the time they had first given her away as a very young girl, Malinalli had learned to conquer the fear of the unknown by relying on the familiar, on the brilliant star that would appear at her window…” It is evident page 19 that after experiencing loss, Malinalli can gain the skills to survive it, and she often times already has the skills thanks to her all-knowing abuela.

As La Malinche travels to Tenochtitlan, silent and uncomplaining, she uses her survival skills, and draws out Malinalli from her soul. “Migration is an act of survival,” that is what Malinalli’s grandmother said to her when admiring butterflies on page 92. Malinalli remembers this when she needs it most, when she is suffering from hypothermia and is about to witnesses horrible death. Malinalli is always migrating, be it from slave owner to slave owner, or with Cortes, conquering alongside him. She becomes one of the butterflies her abuela took her to see, changing names, creating cocoons for herself, born into a new life each time, surviving. Migrating involves leaving everything behind, or as her abuela predicted, losing everything, leaving behind a life, in turn for eventually, a better one.

The better life, the one The Tongue was always translating for, the one La Malinche helped Cortes for, the one Malinalli finally got, with Jaramillo, her husband, and Maria and Martin. It is this life that Malinalli finally, once again herself as she was as a child, allowed herself to die in. This life, finally full of all the happiness she lost, is the one that allowed Malinalli to be one with the gods, the elements, the stars. “Her spirit became one with the water. It scattered in the air. Her skin expanded to the limit, allowing her to change shape and become one with everything that surrounded her…She abandoned this world.” Only a survivor can avoid death for so long, then to choose when they do leave world, as Malinalli did on page 185.

Sold into slavery by her own mother, given no other options but to help Cortes, translated for the ruler who demands sacrifice and blood-shed, and thought of with shame in one’s heart, through La Malinche, Malinalli survived. Malinalli was born in such a way that it was clear that she would have to lose everything to gain everything, and she did, many times, over and over. Such feats only a survivor could live through, and one day die through, and throughout it all, “Malinalli saw clearly that she had lost nothing, that there was no reason to fear…” (p. 27)

Mona Lisa Opticc Report

The Mona Lisa is important to the Renaissance period (1300 – 1700) because she represents large social and cultural changes that occurred. She represents the changes to the representation of women in society, she represents the change in thinking when it comes to art and art itself, including how it became much more realistic and what was portrayed. The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous works of Leonardo da Vinci and is even more famous today than it was in the Renaissance, and has been acclaimed as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”.

Overview- This painting is a half-length portrait of Madam Lisa del Giocondo painted by Leonardo da Vinci. She appears to be sitting and has her arms crossed in front of her, and there are mountains and a river behind her. The whole scene is very colorless and dull.

Parts- The woman herself is sitting with a slight smile, a semi low-cut dress, and her hair parted in the middle and curly. The fact that her hair is visible and not covered by the veils women in the Middle Ages wore shows a drastic change in societal thinking. The fact that she is the subject of the painting is also very important, there are no other people (men specifically), in the painting with her. Behind her is a drab scenery, there is some red ground that appears to have a path or road going through it, and there is a river flowing on the banks of the red ground. There appears to be trees directly across the river, and in the far back there are snow-capped mountains and possibly a glacier, a white mound of land, nonetheless.

Title- The title of this piece is the Mona Lisa, the word “Mona” was the contraction (shortened form) of the word “Madonna,” meaning “My Lady”. It’s title in English might be “My Lady Lisa”. The title gives away that the painting will depict a woman, or a lady, because of the word Mona, and because Lisa is a feminine name. 

Interpretation- This painting is meant to depict a woman in a lifelike way, and it is possible Leonardo da Vinci’s intent for this piece was simply to have an ever-lasting representation of this beautiful woman. The message of this painting can be interpreted many ways. The first is that women are beautiful and deserve respect, as she is painted in nature, but is the brightest part of the painting, meaning the colors used for the scenery were intentional in order to show how she stands out. The fact that she wears a low-cut dress and no veil sends the message that women of the Renaissance should no longer be hidden behind layers of clothes. With only Mona Lisa as the subject, it sends the message that she is independent and does not necessarily need a man, she is even smiling, which could build that argument. Overall the Mona Lisa is heavily coated with multiple meanings supporting women.

Context- During the Renaissance, artists began to do autopsies on cadavers specifically for artful purposes. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael actually looked inside human bodies and observed the shape and contour of muscles and organs, leading to much more realistic art like the Mona Lisa. After the Black Death which spread all over the world through trade routes, labor became more expensive in Western Europe, which led to many peasant and worker uprisings, a raise in wages, and the end of serfdom. Also a result of the plague the middle class became stronger and powerful, and had extra money they didn’t have before thanks to the raise in wages, so they were more willing to spend their money on art and other luxury goods, meaning more artists were actually making and selling art, like the Mona Lisa.

Conclusion- The Mona Lisa depicts not only a woman no longer hindered by social beliefs/norms, but also a changed Europe during the Renaissance. It shows the social and cultural improvements of the time, and has a lot of history behind it, like the plague’s effects and how it led to new styles of art, and the changed views on women during the Renaissance.

Mona’s Secret

I sit here: unmoving, perfect,

tight smiled and sleepy eyed

 

the snow-capped mountains

send whispers of wind to my ears;

the calls of the river behind me

bring sleepy thoughts to the shore of my mind

 

I long to glance behind me

and admire the beautiful

drab land and sky

instead of da Vinci’s furrowed brow

 

I crave to itch my long, slender nose

but my soft hands must remain

folded on this hard chair’s arm,

slender, unmoving, perfect

 

the icy, whispering breeze

sends ringlets of hair

out of their perfect place

to tickle my pale cheeks

 

and all these simple thoughts and happenings

are a secret only the Wind and I share

Keeping Up With Antigone

A perfect match!

They’re practically twins!

Creon has found his dream girl.

Same pose and everything!

This one was obvious.

An ode to the simple-minded men.

They’ve got your back…

They both share an unlucky fate.

In “Loving” Memory…

Artist Statement

I have created a mixed genre personality quiz, using characters from Antigone and members of the Kardashian family. It is based off of the personality quizzes we all take on BuzzFeed and other similar websites/apps. I am so used to creating written pieces, so I chose to create a photo gallery instead with short captions making fun of the pairings. Some of the quiz results are clearly edited by myself, because some of the Kardashian family members I wanted to use were not answers to the quiz because it is a bit outdated.

I was originally planning on simply preparing the two families by describing each of their personalities and showing their images next to each other, but then I found something that influenced me to change my idea. At first my influence was those comparisons made between celebrities and characters such as this one comparing a man to the character Carl Fredricksen from the movie “Up”. But then as I was looking for Kardashian personality descriptions, an idea I formed from my mentor text, I came across this quiz: “Which Kardashian Are You?”, which inspired me to change my plans. I realized this personality quiz could not only supply me with descriptions for almost all the Kardashians I planned on including, but this idea made much more sense and was more interesting than a simple comparison like my first idea.

By looking at the gallery I provided of the Antigone quiz taker and the Kardashian result, I want my viewers to see the connection these characters from Antigone have with the Kardashian family, in a humorous way. This is supposed to be a funny twist to the characters we read about in Antigone, making fun of two different types of people, fictional characters from 441 B.C.E, and then the people we see today on TV and on social media. I also want the viewers to see that this is, in fact, a humorous twist on current personality quizzes, making it clear that we shouldn’t take personality quizzes seriously.

My piece is tied to Antigone because it uses major characters and descriptions of their important aspects of their personalities and/or role in the play. I pulled the characters right out of the play ad introduced them to the world of personality quizzes and reality TV. I described the characters of Antigone with the help of my mentor text, using only the knowledge provided from the play based on the dialogues, monologues, and actions of and between the characters.

Feudalism Painting Opticc Report

This painting is important to the Middle Ages, 476 CE-14th century, because it represents the political and economic structure of this time period, feudalism and manorialism. It is important that people recognize that this painting represents the Middle Ages in Europe because this was the way of life during this time period, and it is how the Middle Ages can be identified. This painting is relevant today because it is a perfect visual explanation of manorialism, making it a great reference to the Middle Ages in Europe.

Overview- This painting is a beautiful scene with the grand castle of a king, workers in a field, and a moat in between the two with rowers. There are multiple classes shown from the social hierarchy from this time in this painting.

Parts- The first thing we see is the workers in the field. The next focal point is the grand castle, where the lord lives, and lastly the moat surrounding the castle. The workers are most likely people who don’t own land, serfs, who are working on a fief, a piece of land the king granted them. They are planting crops and plowing the field, the plow being a technological advancement. The castle is surrounded by a great wall and and then surrounded further by a moat. It houses the king, and we can see bishops and/or noblemen who are walking inside the castle’s wall. The moat surrounding the castle, protecting it from invasion, has people rowing boats in the moat, with one working as a transporter of the higher class across the moat into the castle. If you look closely above the castle, there is a practically invisible chariot flown by two pegasus. 

Title- The title of this piece is Feudalism, explains that this piece is a a depiction of a feudalistic society. The title prepares the viewer to expect a scene that must represent certain ideals of this time, such as the workers in the field working on land that is not their own, and a large castle of a king like the one in this piece.

Interpretation- This painting is meant to meant to depict the political ideals of this time. The message of work of art is that the serfs are meant to work in the fields and the king is meant to live in the castle. The chariot flying over the castle sends the message that the king’s reign is justified because he was chosen by god. This religious connection also justifies the king’s claim on all the land and all the people on the land, because the people were born on the land that god granted to the king. 

Context- In medieval Europe feudalism was the way of life. In a feudal society, the king gives large pieces of land called fiefs to noblemen and bishops. People who don’t own land, serfs, were the ones who worked on the fiefs. They planted and harvested crops and had to give most of the produce to the landowner. These peasants were given land to live on in return for their work, and they were also promised protection from in invasion, but the latter was rarely carried through, because they only lived in huts outside the untouchable castle, so it was common for them to be torched during invasion. Feudalism was essentially a less severe form of slavery.

Conclusion- This piece of art depicts the every day life of different types of people in the Middle Ages. It shows that the artists at this time valued this political/economic relationship that existed between the lower class and the king. This is important to what we are studying because it shows us visually the entire set up of manorialism and feudalism, and just how the serfs tended to the fields and the vast wealth gap between the classes.

More about Feudalism can be found here.

The Quest for Wisdom

There is a debate on whether going on a quest is necessary to find wisdom. I needed the definition of both wisdom and quest before I could answer the question. Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise and a quest is described as a long or arduous search for something. One has to consider that a quest does not necessarily mean one is traveling places, but it is clear that a quest has a specific goal. Because of this, I believe that wisdom is accessible if one is in search of it.

I think one needs to know that they want wisdom in order to be eligible to acquire it. Most of my thoughts are influenced by the book Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse. Saying this, one cannot forget that they seek wisdom either, or even enlightenment as Siddhartha did when he settled into the world of wealth and vanity; “Like a veil, like a thin mist, weariness settled upon Siddhartha, slowly, every day a bit thicker, every month a bit drearier, every year a bit heavier…Siddhartha did not notice this. He noticed only that his clear and certain innermost voice, which once had been awake inside him and always and ever guided him during his times of resplendence, that voice had gone silent.” (p.63) This passage expresses how when Siddhartha strayed from his journey, his quest to wisdom and enlightenment, he became ignorant to the fact that he was straying at all. This is why it is important to never stray from one’s quest, one cannot attain wisdom if they forget that wisdom is what they want.

One’s quest for wisdom must be a specific one. Dwelling on your past fails or focusing on your past triumphs will not help you go forward. Even if the sun is setting behind you, you must keep walking into the darkness, with the knowledge that the sun will rise in the morning, an unattainable destination you try to reach every day. This is something Siddhartha does, an example would be on p.69: “Siddhartha roamed the forest, already far away from the city, with but one thought in mind, that he could no longer return. that the life he had been leading for many years was over and done, savored and sucked dry even to revulsion.” Here he leaves his ignorant wealth and ignorant pleasure garden and ignorant self behind, knowing it will do him no good to remember.

The quest for wisdom is also unique in that it is one’s own, personal quest. No two people can be on the same quest at the same time, no two people can realize their wisdom or become enlightened together. Finding wisdom is a quest for one person, and one person only. “One can find wisdom, one can live it, one can be borne by it, one can work wonders with it, but one can neither speak it nor teach it.” (p.111) This is something Siddhartha realized after many years of

searching for an enlightenment through the ascetics and shramana and teachings of the Gautama, after many years of disappointment.

This is why a quest is so essential to find wisdom, Siddhartha was a perfect example for many reasons. Wisdom is not something that can be taught to anyone, it is only granted to those who teach themselves, it is not something one can focus on if their mind is on the past, it is only attainable when it is the only goal. These are things the book helped me realize, and knowing that a quest doesn’t necessarily mean one has to go on an adventure also helped.

Wine Container (hu) OPTICC Report

This wine container is important to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period (770–ca. 475 B.C.E.), early 5th century B.C.E. because it represents one of the Chinese ritual vessels used at this time, something very important to the leaders of the Zhou at the start. It is important people understand that the bronze was an important metal at this time, before iron and steel metallurgy became more prominent, and that the ritual vessels were usually made of bronze as this one was.

Overview- This wine container is made of bronze, and although some of the vessel has corroded and oxidized, causing it to turn green, other parts of the surface were preserved, leaving its golden metallic shine. There is clearly a decorative pattern on the surface of the vessel, and the wine container is separated into three sections, between the top and base.

Parts- The top of the vessel appears to have a removable lid, which makes sense as it holds wine, with 3 animals represented on the top of the lid, which could possibly represent the “animal style” art influenced by contact with nomadic cultures at this time. The remainder of the top has what appears to be triangle peaks equal in shape and size, and a band of decorative, intricate patterns wraps around neck of vessel. The body of the wine container, separated by three raised rings, is completely covered in extremely detailed animal masks and interlacing bands ending in dragon heads and feathered tails. The handles on either side possibly allow the vessel to be held without direct contact with container, or could simply be for decoration. The base of the wine container has the same type of decorative band as the top, and allows the ritual vessel to stand.

Title- The title of this piece of artwork, Wine container (hu), explains that the vessel shown was used as a wine container in the religious rituals of the time. It also suggests that wine had an important role in the rituals since its purpose was to hold wine.

Interpretation- The intention of creating this piece of art was to have it hold wine in the religious rituals the kings held. It was also meant to aid in the rituals of divination and the worship of ancestors. The bronze it is made out of was meant to represent wealth and power.

Context- At this time in history, bronze was still used to make these ritual vessels, but the Chinese were also progressing and starting to use metals other than bronze, such as copper, silver, and gold. The use of these ritual vessels also became less common as the Zhou period progressed because the Kings now held the Mandate of Heaven, which justified a king’s actions enough that divination and rituals were no longer found necessary. A separation of religion and politics during the Zhou period also explains why these wine containers made of bronze are used less in this time.

Conclusion- The wine container of the Eastern Zhou dynasty was an essential unit of the religious rituals the kings performed before any decisions, at least before the political and religious aspects of 5th century B.C.E. China became more separated. It is important to what we are studying because the vessel holds many pieces of the Zhou period’s important history in it, including the decreasing use of bronze, a change in political power, and the use of symmetry and geometry in the making of ritual vessels similar to this wine container.

More about this piece can be found here.