Non-Western traditional art

 Traditional art 

Traditional art is described as an art form that has been practiced by generations and passed down it is connected to a certain culture, even countries. In this post we will be taking a look at some art forms, that are synonimous with the countries they were created at, these art forms will be: The Lielvarde belt (Latvian art), Rock relief art (Persian/Iranian art) and samurai armor (Japanese art). 

Lielvārde Belt

Lielvārdes josta | Tablet weaving, Weaving art, Inkle weaving
Lielvārdes josta - folk created (Late 18th century)

The Lielvarde belt (Latv: Lielvārdes josta), is a Latvian folk art expression, which is a belt, that has traditional symbols woven into it, the symbols and their meanings are to this day taught in school and are a part of the Latvian identity, which is a really important factor for the proud Latvian people.
The belt is traditionally woven by professional weavers, it is around 3m long and 10 cm wide and made of linen. Even for these professionals it can take more than 2,5 weeks to finish it - weaving for around 8h per day. The belt nowadays is considered a symbol of Latvia and can be seen on many Latvian themed clothing and souvenirs. The name Lielvardes is associated with this art form is because the belt is woven mainly in the region of Lielvarde, Latvia and cities around it. Actually most cities by the coasts of the river Daugava and this lead to there being around 74 different variations of the belt.
The belt is always composed of the red and white color and the symbols are considered to have the the origin of the universe and human DNA encoded in them.
I myself have a scarf and my grandmother is from Lielvarde, so she has an original Lielvardes belt along with the traditional outfit of Latvian women, so I think the belt will be passed down to my mother and later to my sister.
The emotions this belt brings to me is calm strength, patriotism and symmetric perfectionism, so I am proud to be a part of this culture. 

Persian rock art

Taq Bostan -  created around 4th century CE

This particular ancient Persian art is believed to have been created at around 4th century CE and the work shown here is a part of a bigger arch, in this arch, which is also called the "Arch of the garden" the that time King Khosrow Parviz is apparently depicted in this rock carving, riding the legendary black stallion Shabdiz, who according to Persian literature was the fastest horse in the world.
This example of the Persian Sassanid art is located not far from Kermanshah, Iran. These works of art are a great reflection on the power, influence, honor and vastness of the Persian empire. The Persian kings liked to have this art made all around their territory, but especially around the silk road, to boast the power they had

I like this art, because it seems super authentic and detailed. The quality of the art is represented in the fact that the pieces are still visible to this day. I would like to have a Sassanid art piece in my home, since it is so impressive and definitely inspires awe. 

Japanese Samurai armor

Armor (<i>Yoroi</i>) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, copper, gold, pigments, Japanese
Armor (Yoroi) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358)

The traditional samurai armor is more than impressive, with the explicit detail and perfected craftsmanship that it took to create each individual piece, and keeping in mind that the beauty was not the main goal of it - it was meant to protect warriors of that time, while allowing them the agility they needed. The specific armor presented here was mainly worn by horseback warriors.
The armor is made out of white silk laces and had diagonal bands of multicolored lacing at the edges of skirt and the sode. The colored lacing symbolized a rainbow, which was associated with good fortune and beauty, therefore you can see that they saw the artistic part of the armor as an important part. The breastplate has stenciled leather on it, with the image a Buddhist deity Fudō Myō-ō, who was thought of as the complete samurai for his fierce mien, calmness and inner strength. The helmet, is dated from the middle of the fourteenth century and is like a cherry on top for the whole set of armor.
I really like the armor set and would definitely love to have it in my house as an art piece, because of the power and craftsmanship that it represents, this is also the reason I selected the work, because I am really interested in pieces like this.



Sources used: 

“The Lielvārde Belt.” Latvijas Kultras Kanons, https://kulturaskanons.lv/en/archive/lielvardes-josta/

“Persian Art.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_art

Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/samu/hd_samu.htm

“Dzelzs Laikmets Latvijas Teritorijā.” Sākums, https://enciklopedija.lv/skirklis/4946-dzelzs-laikmets-Latvijas-teritorij%C4%8  (Source in Latvian)

 






Comments

  1. kqwilliams27 November 2021 at 23:53

    Hi, I just got done posting another student’s post where they had sculptures and jewelry, and I how much I liked it. I feel the same about your post, the variety of physical art from The Lielvarde belt with the beautiful symbols woven into it to the traditional samurai. It is very impressive how detailed each piece is with all the work that would have to be put into it in order to create it. Hours, days, weeks, and possibly months, using methods that were very labor-intensive that required tons of knowledge and planning to complete. Truly a beautiful and impressive feat of ingenuity, skill, and patience. Great post!

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  2. Karey S29 November 2021 at 17:57

    Great post Roberts! I love the variety of items you chose to include in your post. The Latvian belt is freaking amazing! The intricate and historic details that are woven into it, really display how rich certain traditions can be. The patterns are precise, and symmetrical which is an ode to your people. The Japanese armor also fascinating because it incorporates beautiful colors and strong functionality. There are times when artists create something great to be used for a specific purpose but mistakingly omit the full operation of it. So I appreciate that the Japanese for taking all things into consideration for their armor pieces.

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  3. Filip Fornåå Svensson30 November 2021 at 21:23

    Hello Roberts,

    You chose a great variety of art works here from three different countries. It was very fascinating and interesting to read. You did a great job on the research here and that is something, as a reader, appreciate a lot. My own thoughts and opinions about these art pieces is that the second and third art pieces are something I would enjoy looking and admiring more than the Latvian belt. The Samurai armor is something really cool and I have always loved movies and books including samurais. I also believe it represents power and craftmanship, as you mentioned. This was made a long time ago and the craftmanship behind this armor is astonishing.

    As your home country Latvia, and its belt, we actually have a similar thing in Sweden but it is more of a whole outfit that is called "Folkdräkt". You should look that up. I wanted to share that with you since we come from different cultures and country and I just learned something from the Latvian culture today.

    Thank you and great post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Garrett2 December 2021 at 11:48

    Hi Roberts,

    The three pieces you choose were all great examples of traditional pieces expressing their representative countries. Each piece shows craftsmanship and a dedication that the artist had in creating these pieces. Personally, my favourite piece out of three would be Japanese Samurai Armour. What appeals to me is the multiple different materials used to create the armour and how this suit was designed to protect the individual while at the same time it looks like a beautiful piece of art.

    Connecting these pieces to their countries and explaining the meaning behind each piece shows how you were able to connect these pieces to the origin country. Great work this week as this blog post was a stand out.

    Garrett

    ReplyDelete

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