WHAT ARE AZTECS

Aztecs are Indians known for their control over south and central Mexico, ruling primarily between the 14th and 16th centuries. The name “Aztec” comes from their homeland of the north called Azatlan. Amongst the Indians, they call themselves Mexica. In addition, the language spoken by the Aztecs comes from the Nauatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. This particular tribe of Indians created the Toltec civilization, which was the result of hundreds of people coming to Lake Texcoco. The families that migrated to this area later were left to choose only swamp land, leaving the prime land to those who arrived first. For the late comers, the swamp provided just a single plot of land, completely enveloped by marshes. Although it seemed impossible, the Aztecs took their difficult situation, turning it into what we know as the Aztec Empire. History shows us that the Aztec Empire was created partially on legend, which states that from the swampy area, an eagle could be seen eating a snake while perched high upon a cactus growing out of the swamps. This legend also states that the priests claimed when they came to this new land, this was the first thing they saw. Through hard work and determination, the capital city called Tenochtitlan was completed in 1325. Amazingly, technology for this time included pipelines, bridges, and chinapas, which were small islands created by piling up mounds of mud. The Aztec people took full advantage of the chinapas, growing many foods such as beans, corn, chilies, squash, tobacco, and tomatoes. Then, as a way of showing homage and respect to the gods, the capital city was covered in huge religious statues. These gods according to the Aztec beliefs is that they control every aspect of the Astec’s daily life. For example, Uitzilpochtli is the sun god, Coyolxauhqui is the moon goddess, Tlaloc is the rain god, and the creator of the calendar and writing is Quetzalcoatl. In addition to worshipping gods, the Aztec people also believe strongly in sacrifices. In fact, the high priest would choose a man or woman, laying him or her over a round stone. Then with a very sharp knife, the individual’s heart would be cut out. With this type of sacrifice, the belief was that the good gods would stop the bad gods from carrying out evil deeds. They also believed that the good gods drew their strength and power from the shed human blood and heart. Because they depended so heavily on the gods, they needed to continually keep them strong. Some rituals involved warriors being sacrificed, which was considered the ultimate honor. If a small sacrifice was required, then a prisoner would be used. For marriage among the Aztec people, the groom would tie his shirt to the bride’s dress as an expression of bonding. After being tied together, the couple would then burn incense for four consecutive days. When done, the wedding ceremony could commence. A change came about in 1519 when a Spanish explorer by the name of Hernando Cortes brought with him more than 500 men into the Aztec territory in their search for gold. Because the Aztec Indians believed Cortes was a white god so the held him in high regard. However, once the Aztecs saw Cortes and his men melting down their gold statues to ship back to Spain, their opinion changed dramatically.

THE ARTIST – KUNIMASA

Being a pupil of Toyokuni Utagawa, Kunimasa’s work with woodblock prints was not only rare, but in high demand due to the detailing and quality. Kunimasa actually focused his artistic abilities doing work as a printmaker until 1805. At that time, he turned his direction to Kabuki actor portraits. As you can imagine, actors loved his work, often seeking him out to do a special painting.

Kunimasa originated from Aizu, which is a province in Iwashiro. At first, his work was solely to work in the dye shop when he made his way to Edo, which is today’s Tokyo. His work was so amazing and crisp that he was quickly noticed by Toyokuni. Soon after meeting, Kunimasa was asked to become an apprentice under Toyokuni’s guiding hand.

Again, while Kunimasa is best known for his beautiful work on Kabuki actors, he also focused his attention on Bijinga, which are portraits of beautiful women. As with most woodblock artists, each has a distinct style. For Kunimasa, his style focuses on capturing the intensity of Sharaku, using decorative pageantry that he learned from his master Toyokuni. Even though many compare his work in this way, and while Kunimasa is highly regarded as a woodblock artist, many believed he never achieved the degree of intensity that you would see with Sharaku.

Kunimasa actively painted woodblock prints from 1773 to 1810. One of his most amazing prints was a heartfelt tribute to Ebizo when he retired in 1796 from the Kabuki stage. Although he could have captured the actor in a number of ways, he chose a Shibaraku scene, which is ranked as the most famous and impressive of all drama. In this type of scene, the actor bursts onto the Hanamichi walkway coming from the backside of the theater, shouting “Shibaraku”, which translates in English to “Wait a Moment”. This shout draws attention, as the actor makes his way to the stage to save characters from death.

What we see with Kunimasa in his portrait of Ebizo was this scene, which was truly incredible. In addition, this particular portrait was done as a “large head” portrait, which is known as Okubi-e. As you can imagine, this depiction captures a unique profile of the actor. Also captured in the portrait is the colorful and detailed costume, as well as actor’s makeup. Then, you would see Ebizo’s wig, paper decorations tucked neatly beneath a black lacquer coat, green, detailed jacket, and the persimmon-colored costume. The overall presentation is stunning and the crux of this artist’s skill.