The information is in the attachment. Please look through it carefully.
Self-navigate the Arts of Asia and the Arts of Ancient Americas departments in the Denver Art Museum
to find the following 14 items. Please ensure that you follow the rules of the museum and conduct
yourself with care around the objects on display, other visitors. Click on the link below each item to view
the webpage and photo for it.
For all 14 items listed below:
1. Photograph the item in context, what items (if any) are immediately adjacent to this one. Does it
share a cabinet with any other items? Is there a larger visual collection that the item belongs to
(for instance pendants, vases, etc.?)
2. Take a photo of the label for the item for your records.
3. Consider the way that the item is displayed, the room, the lighting, and so on.
4. Choose the one item from this list that resonates with you for the object study..(see below)
ARTS OF ASIA:
● Horse, 206BCE-8CE, China, figure, ceramic, Arts of Asia
● Bird Head Deity Fragment, 885 BCE, Iraq, Limestone, Arts of Asia
● Acuoye Guanyin, Yunnan Province, Figure, China (1100s-1200s), Arts of Asia
● Lajvardina Tile with “Allah”, Islamic, Tile, Iran (1300s), Arts of Asia
● Seated Eight-armed Durge, Artist: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishu, Madhya Pradesh Province,
Sandstone Sculpture, Central India (1000s – 1100s), Arts of Asia.
● Stela, 400s-500s, China, Stela, Arts of Asia
ARTS OF ANCIENT AMERICAS:
● Bridge-Spout Bottle in Form of a Feline, 400-100 BCE, Peru, Ceramic with post-fred resin paint,
Unknown Paracas artist, Arts of Ancient Americas
● Breastplate with Supernatural Crocodile, Central Panama Azuero Peninsula, Hammered
Gold Alloy, Colombia (400-1000 CE), Arts of the Ancient Americas
● Handled Bark Beater for Making Paper, Andestine (stone), Central Region of Costa Rica (700 –
1520 CE).
● Roller Stamp with Geometric Motifs, Ceramic, Santa Clara Group: Stamp (1–1000 CE)
● Teotihuacan-Style Incense Burner, 350-550 CE, Maya, Escuintla Tiquisate, Guatemala, Lid,
Ceramic, Arts of the Ancient Americas
● Ocarina in the Form of a Female Figure w/ Monkey and Child, 550-950 CE, Maya,
Guatemalan highlands Alta Verpaz region, whistle, Ceramic, Arts of the Ancient Americas
● Ixtlán del Río-Style House Model with Figures Feasting, Unknown Nayarit artist,Nayarit region,
Western Mexico (100–1 BCE)
● Standing Figure with Sprouting Plant emerging from Head, 1000-400 BCE, Olmec, Mexico,
Greenstone, Arts of Ancient Americas
ARTS OF AFRICA (Cross over to the Daniel Liebeskind Building to find this one!)
• Spirit Boat Model, 1991 B.C.-1786 B.C. Gebelein, Egypt
ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
Note: These items should fall within the timespan of our class from around 3000BCE to 1400 CE/AD
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Object Study:
This is your opportunity to consider the types of artifacts and objects we consider important to telling
histories of the built environment. We also want to explore how we look at objects and how they can
connect us to the histories we’re learning about from the textbooks and lectures.
In the museum, consider how you document the item:
1. Do you choose to photograph the item, or draw it, or some other means?
2. How much detail do you choose to show, are there scratches or wear that are significant to
document?
3. How can you show scale in your documentation?
4. How might you indicate materiality or color in your documentation?
Later at home you should research this object according to the following questions:
• Who were the original makers of the object?
• Can you find out information about where this object was made and the context?
• What was the use of this item, what was its function in daily life?
• In other words, how would you connect this item in the museum with the historical context of
its making. This will require outside research than what is available in the museum or the
textbooks.
• You might choose for instance to match your selected artifact with an architectural example
from the same time and geography to make a comparison or speculation.
