Inka Art History
In South America, the Inka civilization made a distinguished mark on art and culture that is celebrated and remembered to this day.
The Inka empire, which peaked during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, was located along the Andes, ranging from Ecuador to Santiago, Chile. “Inka” refers to a king, and there were 11 main Inks ruling the diverse empire of nearly 700 sub-cultures and languages. The capital, Cuzco, was established by the 9th Inka, Pachacuti, and flourished with roads, aquaducts, canals and fountains. The Inkas were therefore especially recognized for their control of the land and water systems. Like the Aztecs, the Inka were incredibly skilled stone carvers, creating functional buildings and into the landscape.
The Quipu is a woven belt, worn by Inka administrators, that was used as a record keeper for various things by using knots, materials, and colors. Some of its purposes probably include recording taxes, census counts, debt, ratios and proportions for engineering and building projects, and the control of goods. The Inkas also wove men’s tunics that each indicated a certain social status or power through their design. For example, an eight-pointed star relates to being from a southern region, and a black and white checkerboard symbolizes warriors.
Whereas the Aztecs had the sacred Templo Mayor, the Inkas had the Qorikancha, located in the center of Cuzco, where pilgrims often took walks. The Inkas also observed astronomy, and had their own theories about the sun. In the center of Machu Picchu, a hillside architectural structure, there is the Intihuatana, meaning “the hitching post of the sun”. This large stone sculpture was intended to support and guarantee the sun’s journey across the sky every day.
They also had the Qorikancha, or the Temple of the Sun, which was originally covered in gold. On the inside, it would have also been filled with gold and silver, eventually captured by the Spaniards and sent back to Spain. The sun deity, or gold, was “Inti” and his wife, Mama Quia, representing silver and the moon. Pachamama is their earth goddess. The various groups throughout the empire participated in pilgrimages to the temple where they also placed their own sacred objects and deities.
The Inkas participated in sacrifices of alpacas and llamas, considered sacred animals because of their contribution of wool as a natural resource, which is still important in present day Peru. The Inkas also had access to cotton in their southern regions and were focused on honoring the natural environment while manipulating the landscape. Inka culture still amazes and impress the world in their abilities to produce such skillful and artistic rituals, beliefs, architecture and control of land.
