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THE PLACE OF ABSTRACT DESIGN AND REPRESENTATIONS IN AMAZONIAN PRE-COLONIAL ART

Abstract

This article discusses formal aspects of the materiality of figurative ceramic art schemes in two late pre-colonial cultures of the Amazon - Santarém (A.D. 1000-1600) and the Estearias of Maranhão (A.D. 775-1045), whose material culture stands out for its emphasis on figurativism. Its purpose is to highlight the formal structure of both styles and to reflect on the cultural meanings of the tendency for reversals observed in these ancient societies when compared to the art of contemporary indigenous societies. According to recent anthropological characterization, the latter would be marked by a general non-representative trend that is noteworthy for its abstract designs, maintaining a connection with the animist and perspectivist cosmologies dominant in the region. Considered in detail, the archaeological examples investigated in this article indicate the prominence of figurativism, but suggests the coexistence of both regimes.

Key-words:
Pre-colonial Art; Amazonia; Materiality; Figurativism; Abstractionism; Santarém; Estearias of Maranhão

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