Birth of primitive art ９: primitive arts other than Europe ２

＜　a rock art in Bhimbetka, two fighters have a shield and a sword ＞

This time, we look at primitive fine arts in India and Australian.

＜　a map of primitive fine arts、fine arts of glacial epoch were born in a red part, other primitive fine arts were born in No. 1～７.　＞

＜　map No.3, Bhimbetka hills in India Central Highlands　＞

In Bhimbetka hills,ｔhere are about three hundred of Rock Shelters that have mural paintings.

Its oldest fine arts were drawn in about 10,000 years ago. After that, it had been continuously drawn by indigenous people.

Some people say that there were the fine arts from about 30,000 years ago.

There were traces of early human activity in these ruins also.

Footprints of modern human in 75000 years ago were in southern India.

ビーマベトカ山には、壁画がある岩陰や洞窟遺跡が３百ヵ所ほど見つかっている。

概ね１万年前から描かれ、後に先住民によって描き加えらえた。

一部には3万年前の絵もあると言われている。

この遺跡には原人の生活跡もある。インド南部には75000年前の現世人類の足跡がある。

 

＜　two rock arts are thought of as a kind of the oldest thing in Bhimbetka.　＞

Upper image shows that a cow 1.6 m in length, the cow that is ousting a man, other man who put a hand on his waist, and thinly a crab on the left.

Lower image shows humped cattle.

The pictures of these oldest stages drew many big animals, for example a water buffalo, a cow, an elephant, etc., but almost never drew figure paintings.

The images were drawn with only outline or were buried by geometric pattern inside the outline.

The figure paintings were stylized simply, although the animal images were quite realistic.

Over the time, people drew person ride horse or elephant, battling by bow and spear, tinseled horse or elephant, dancing while beating drum, honeybee collection, and fishing.

上図には、長さ１．６ｍの牛、牛に追われ走る人、腰に手をあてる人、左に蟹が薄く見える。下図にはこぶ牛が見える。

これら初期の絵は、水牛、牛、象などを輪郭やその内側を幾何学模様で埋めた大きな動物像が多く、人物像はほとんどなかった。

動物はかなり写実的であるが、人物は様式化されている。

時代が下ると、馬や象の騎乗、弓矢や槍などでの戦い、盛飾を付けた馬や象、太鼓を打って舞踊、蜜蜂採集、漁労が描かれる。

＜　map No.4, Bradshaw in northwest Australia, mural paintings are in such rock shadow　＞

There are the oldest rock paintings of Australia in Kimberley of northwest Australia. It is supposed that there are 100,000 places or more.

Its oldest fine arts were drawn over 17,000 years ago. After that, it had been continuously drawn.

Some people say that there were the fine arts from about 43,000 years ago.

First modern human of Australia crossed the Timor strait that became to narrow at the glacial epoch in about 70,000 years ago.

オーストリア西北部のキンバリーにオーストラリア最古の岩壁画があり、１０万以上あると推測されている。

最古のその美術は１７０００年前から描かれ、その後も描き続けられた。

一部には４３０００年前の絵もあると言われている。

オーストラリアの最初の現世人類は、７万年前頃の氷河期、狭くなっていたティモール海峡を渡った。

 

 

＜　two rock arts were thought of as a kind of the oldest thing in Bradshaw. ＞

Upper image shows a four man canoe with upswept prow and stern. It possibly was the world’s oldest boat painting.

Lower image shows a herd of deer with splendid antler that lined in a row.

Deer of this kind have never lived in Australia, but had lived in Southeast Asia at the glacial epoch.

The people who finished the voyage possibly wrote it depending on own memory.

上図、これはおそらく世界最古のボートである可能性がある、４人が乗ったカヌーの船首と船尾は上向きに反っている。

下図、これは立派な枝角を持つ鹿の1列に並んだ群れで、この種の鹿はオーストラリアにはおらず、氷河期の東南アジアに生息していた。

航海を成し遂げた人が記憶に頼って書いたのかもしれない。

 

＜　a rock art of dancing persons in Bradshaw　＞

They wear various decorations to waist, ankle, and head, are dancing while wriggling body and arm.

It seems that the smiling face of dancing person is seen.

In India and Australia, drawing mural painting is beginning from 10000 to 20000 years ago, too.

It is not improbable that is beginning from 30000 to 40000 years ago depending on the case.

Next time, we will look at primitive fine arts in Japan and American.

  

腰、足首、頭に飾りを着け、体や腕をくねらせ踊っている。

踊り手の笑顔が伝わってくるようである。

インド、オーストラリアでも１～２万年前に壁画が描かれ始めていた。場合によっては３～４万年前もありうる。

次回は、日本とアメリカ大陸の原初美術を見ます。

Birth of primitive art 8: primitive arts other than Europe 1

＜　rock arts in Tassili-n-Ajjer 　＞

The first fine arts of the human beings were born in Europe of the glacial epoch, and eventually were lost.

However, primitive fine arts were born in different parts of the world after that.

We look at the arts in different parts simply.

人類最初の美術が氷河期のヨーロッパで誕生し、やがて廃れた。

しかしその後、世界各地で美術が誕生することになる。

各地の原初美術を簡単に見ます。

＜　a map of primitive fine arts、fine arts of glacial epoch were born in a red part, other primitive fine arts were born in No. 1～７.　＞

The primitive fine arts in Africa 1 and 2, India 3, Australia 4, and America 6 and 7 were rock arts.

They are reflecting a life of hunting and gathering life. The indigenous people are continuing drawing them in some locations until recently. For this reason, establishing inaugural year of drawing pictures is difficult.

Japan made many Venus image out of clay, but didn't make rock arts.  japan is only special.

アフリカ1,2、インド3、オーストラリア4、アメリカ6,7の原初美術は岩絵であった。

それらは狩猟採集生活を反映しており、場所によっては先住民が最近まで描き続けていた。このために年代確定が困難になっている。

日本だけは岩絵を作らず、多くのビーナス像（土偶）を作った、これは特殊である。

＜　map No.1,  Tassili n'Ajjer,  Algeria 　＞

Although there is in the middle in Sahara Desert here now, was in rich green those days.

The rock arts on cliffs began to be drawn from 8000 years ago, and stopped by advance of desertification before long.

Although at first they have lived a life of hunting and gathering, the paintings show that their lives changed from cow breeding to the trade on a horse.

The painting place is near once the water place, and will be in which religious service and ceremony were performed.

ここは現在、サハラ砂漠の真ん中であるが、当時は緑豊かであった。

８０００年前頃から壁画が描かれ始め、やがて砂漠化の進行で、それは途絶えた。

始めは狩猟採集生活であったが、牛飼養から馬による交易へと変化していったことが絵からわかる。

壁画が描かれた場所はかつての水場近くであり、祭祀や儀礼が行われていたことだろう。

 

＜　Tassili n'Ajjer,  a rock art in times of hunting and gathering 　＞

Upper two persons wear some decorations to head, neck, and arm, and the scares in sequence of white points are on the body.

   

This scar is a custom that has continued in Central Africa still.

On the lower side, there are a goat, several playing children, a visionary animal, and tent like jellyfish.

Each is no relation, the observing point is freedom, and they painted it by priority of how important.

There isn’t sacredness on it, but I feel pleasure and familiarity to it.

　

上部の二人は頭や首、腕に飾りを着け、体に白い点列の瘢痕がある。

この傷痕は現在も中央アフリカに続く風習である。

下部には山羊、遊ぶ子供達、空想上の動物、クラゲに似たテントが描かれている。

それぞれがバラバラで、描く視点が自由で、重要度によって描き分けられている。

そこに神聖さはなく楽しさと親しみを感じる。

＜　Tassili n'Ajjer,  a rock art in times of cattle breeding　＞　

Hunter that have an uplifting feeling, curved ships, and a herd of cattle that was made distinction of sex, these are painted in it.

Dancing, war, home life, carriage, religious rite, etc. were painted on rock arts of this time.

Brown is a basic tone of the painting, green and white also are added.

躍動感のある狩人、湾曲した船、雌雄の牛の群れが描かれている。

この時代の絵には、踊り、戦争、家庭生活、馬車、宗教儀式なども描かれていた。

絵は茶色を基調に、緑と白が加えられ描かれている。

＜　map No.2，Tsodilo Hills, Botswana, phot by Jaap Sikkema ＞

Bushman (Sun) is continuing a traditional life of hunting and gathering in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.

In the north direction, there are mountains that they called Tsodilo Hills and regard as sacred.

Several thousands of the rock arts that have been painted by them from 2500 years ago remain here.

One theory is it began at 20000 years ago.

ブッシュマン（サン人）はボツワナのカラハリ砂漠で昔ながらの狩猟採集生活を続けている。

その北方にツォディロ・ヒルと呼ばれる彼らが神聖視する山があり、そこに２５００年前から描かれ続けた数千の岩壁画が残っている。一説には２００００年前からとも言われている。

 

 

＜　Tsodilo Hills,  rock arts by Bushman ＞

The image above is seen painting of ox and rhinoceros, and a Bushman. The image below is seen eland and giraffe.

The theme of the paintings is mainly wild animal, hunting, and fishing.

Additionally, there are Dancing, war, rain-making rituals, musical instrument performance, and religion ceremony with wearing mask and with dancing.

When it becomes hundreds of years ago, impressive paintings appear.

There are vast amounts of rock arts in Southern Africa. Bushman paints these from about 6000 years ago to until the 19th century.

People in Africa also had painted rock arts from 8000 years ago.

Next time, we look at primitive fine arts in other continents.

上の写真には牛と犀とブッシュマン、下にはエランド（ウシ科）とキリン、その横に手形が添えられている。

絵の主題は、野生動物と狩猟や漁労が主で、舞踊、戦争、雨乞い、楽器演奏、仮面を被って踊る宗教儀礼などの場面もある。

数百年前になると、見応えのある絵も出現する。

南部アフリカには膨大な岩壁画遺跡があるが、これらはブッシュマンによって約６０００年前から１９世紀まで描かれたものです。

アフリカの人々も、８０００年前から岩絵を描いていた。

次回は、他の大陸の原初美術を見ます。

feature in Awaji Iisland ： heartbeat of winter

 

＜　When the morning sun went up, the fishing boats which had sailed to fish began to return to port all at once.　＞

The sea of Awaji Island still offers us many blessings.

Soon, sand lance fishing starts, and then spring comes.

Although the cold of winter is the severest now, season also began approach of spring.

 

＜　The Temminck's cormorant that basked in sun is relaxing on the breakwater. ＞

Although mountain dies down in winter, many birds visit my yard and seashore.

I introduce the birds that are flying to the seashore.

Three black cormorants were profiled by the shining Osaka Bay.

 

＜　a kite and a sea gull play and fly.　＞

Kites quietly are flying high up in the air all day.

Sea gulls often are flying on the sea quickly.

For just a moment, the two birds were flying high up in the air, like an air battle.

 

＜　A sea gull is on the sea.　＞

Several sea gulls were floating on inner side sea of the breakwater.

 

＜　a plover was on the sandy beach.　＞

A plover were moving on the sandy beach busily.

  

 

＜　white narcissus　＞

The flower of the New Year beginning is a white narcissus in Awaji Island.

Tolerating the harsh winter's cold, the narcissist that grows gregariously on the cliff gives us freshness and loveliness.

  

 

＜　yellow narcissus　＞

This is a narcissus that blooms in my yard, and is one of a few flowers that bloom at winter.

 

＜　Crimson sasanqua　＞

Many sasanqua are seen and red, white, and pink flowers bloom for a long period of time.

＜　plum trees are in full bloom.　＞

If plum trees become in full bloom,

we are waiting eagerly for full bloom of cherry tree.

The lakeside village surrounded by the Alps：Hallstatt

  

＜　a full view of Hallstatt　＞

We visited Hallstatt in the Austria Alps in late October 2009.

We took the bus from Salzburg and went up the ravine deep.

Once, I was impressed by looking at the lake in Zurich and Luzern in Switzerland.

Although my heart beat fast, it became the weather of light rain unluckily.

 

＜　A scenery on the way　＞

The grass and the house on the way are Austrian style.

And the long waterfall and the lake could be seen from the bus window in some places.

 

＜　a full view of Hallstatt lake　　＞

The steep mountains surrounding Ｈallstatt lake were covered with the arising clouds.

As I looked back, the village of Ｈallstatt stood in obscurity between the mountain and the lake.

The scenery of the village carried me back to the middle ages of Europe.

It had atmosphere different from Luzern or Zurich that is a city.

 

＜　a full view of the village, a spire is a church.　＞

 

＜　lakeside houses　＞

The village had been extended long and slender along a lakeside way.

The house made of wood has a rustic atmosphere.

A long waterfall was falling in back of the village immediately.

 

＜　a waterfall　＞

 

＜　folk handicrafts of a stand　＞

I felt nostalgia for those folkcrafts of woodworks.

A small charch stood modestly on a central square in the village.

The scenery is truly a mountain village, and I was impressed by oneself.

 

＜　a central square in the village　＞

In this way, my emotional time finished in a flash.

However, in several days, I remembered that I forgot an important thing on here.

The ruins of Celtic culture that heralded the start of the Europe Bronze Age were located here.        

People who went into along the Danube in Europe from the east made culture first here.

I was standing on the same ground as people of 3000 years ago.

The heart-stopping beauty of the scene has made me forget about that

Finally, I am regrettable that photos are bad because of the light rain.

Next time, I will report about sequel of " birth of primitive art ".

Birth of primitive art 7: After glacial epoch fine arts

 

＜ a rock art in the Levant, a mother and a child、Ｍinateda, Spain、＞

Eventually, the glacial epoch fine arts that emitted luster had declined.

This decline caused stagnation and new deployment.

We look at this big change easily.

＜　Azilian culture, painted stones and bone tools ＞

At 10000 years ago, the colorful cave paintings and movable fine arts that felt vital force no longer were made.

On the other hand, new movements happened at some places a little distant from France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and northern Spain.

One is the painted stone at 11000 years ago. Figures like characters were drawn with several red lines on the stones.

Although bone tools are also found simultaneously, the ornamented things are not found at all.

Azilian that made these on the south of the Pyrenees (Spain) disappeared within 1000 years.

＜　rock arts in the Levant　＞

                   

From 11000 years ago to 5000 years ago, many rock arts appeared in the Spain southeast part.

These are the small paintings of animal and person that are drawn on lee of rock in ravines only by red.

Although animals is drawn realistically, persons are deformed and formalized, and are also humorous.

The themes are hunting, war, a dance, Sherman, etc.  It has composition that has motion with many persons and animals.

The drawn animals are game animals and domesticated dogs, then insects such as spider and fly, etc.

The figure subjects are more male than the woman. The male take a bow and put on bracelet, a hat, etc. The woman put on a skirt and ribbon.

 

＜　Arctic art、Rock Drawings of Alta　＞

A little late, from 6000 to 2000 years ago, many petroglyphs appeared on rocks near the Northern European (especially Norway) sea and rivers.

Many of petroglyphs are carved with a line or flat surface, and they are applied with red. A large thing is a whale 8 m in length.

Many of the themes are game hunting and fishing scenes and the everyday sight are drawn in the style of a tale on it.

The drawn things are reindeer, deer, seal, whale, salmon and sled, boat.

What of the fine arts changed?

Simplify

The cave painting was lost and turned into rock-art

Human and life scene were thought as important.

＜　air temperature change during the past 160,000 years　＞

What brought about this change?

The glacial epoch finished. :  Air temperature rose abruptly from 15000-year ago, and 10,000 years ago, it became the same as the present. By this, the glacier and the reindeer went away to the north and Europe became a forest and the world of small animals from the ground of snow and ice.

Their life changed suddenly :  They repeated movement in quest of the small animals which do not make a group. It dispersed the previous big group. Preservation of meat became impossibility.  When they took all games, they moved to next place. This was the same as the hunter-gatherers of the forest before civilization.

The agricultural had diffused from the Balkan Peninsula, and spread throughout Europe at the time 5000 years ago.

At last, the brightness of fine arts in Europe had been lost until the Bronze Age comes.

Culture and art were greatly influenced by change of natural environment and a social aggregation.

Ｎext time, we look at prehistory fine arts other than Europe.