Spanish Period

During the 16^th century the Spanish period evolved. It was considered as the most brilliant era in the Spanish history. Columbus is the founder of the new world and was excited to see what opportunities he had in the new land. The Moorish, Early Christian, Medieval, and the Italian Renaissance influenced the Spanish period.  

The interiors during this time were very elaborate; they used colored tiles, pine paneled ceilings which where then painted and carved, and they used plaster to make decorative borders around doors and windows. They used superb iron grilles for windows, opening and wrought iron handrails.  During this time they used tile pictures, which would resemble wall tapestries. The upper floors where either tile, stone, brick or wood. The floor design resembled a basket weave and used gentle colors. They would also hang tooled Córdoba leather that was brilliantly painted and gilded. Spain was known as the leading center in fine leatherwork. They cute pile carpets, rugs, and mats all by hand.

Furniture was also a big deal during this time; it provided simplicity and boldness. Basic carvings, rectangular shapes, and heavy proportions where greatly preferred for the furniture. Panels were used repetitively to create a pattern.  The most commonly used material was walnut wood- such as mahogany. And silver was used for ornamentation. They had limited numbers of different pieces like chairs, stools, benches, tables, chests, beds, varguenos and cupboards. 

One of the popular furniture pieces was the Sillon De Frailero known as the monk’s chair.   It was a walnut armchair with a simple rectangular form. It had a leather seat and back with broad front stretcher and they used decorative nail heads. It was prototyped for the mission chair.  

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Extra Credit: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX9mfVpGC9c

Italian Renaissance Review

Alex: Her blog was brief but it was to the point. I like how she explained the dome of the Florance cathedral.

Becca: In her blog she wrote about the Stupa and told us where it was located. He extra credit video was a good and full of information.

Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance period was from 1400-1600 it was an artistic period, which had many influences, but for the most it was as it name implies, a historic revival. Renaissance literally means rebirth, when artists, architectures, and artisans looked to ancient Greece and Rome. The Roman Church became popular which demonstrated corruption and misconduct.

The Italian Renaissance palace was one of the finest achievements of Italian Renaissance. It transformed from Gothic to Early Renaissance. One of the popular structures was the Palazzo Davanzanti. The interiors contained frescos, tapestries and fireplaces which all centered around an interior courtyard. Also, its tall exterior hints of the façade developments to come. Its façade was regularized and topped off with an open gallery on the roof. The ground floor is rusticated and house shops.

During this time a major architectural influence was Leonardo Da Vinci. He was a painter sculpture, architecture, musician, scientist mathematician, engineer, inventor, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo was the most diversely gifted person of all time.

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Extra Credit: 

http://www.history.com/topics/italian-renaissance

The Americas, China and India

The Americas-
Angie- I like how she described the Elites,Commoners, and the Teotihuacan. And how she did a brief outline of the whole culture.

Alex- Her blog was brief but she got to the point with the materials that were used. I liked her extra credit article it was really neat to read.

China and India-
 Amanda- She did a good job at explaining the Chinese architecture. I also liked her extra credit video.

Becca- She focused on the main parts of the Chinese architecture the stupa and the Great Wall of China. They where short but to the point.

China

The architecture of China is as old as the Chinese civilization. With all the information they have they have strong evidence that the Chinese have always enjoyed and indigenous system of construction that has retained its principle characteristics from prehistoric times to the present day. Over the immense area from Chinese Turkistan to Japan, from Manchuria to the northern half of French Indochina, the same system of construction is widespread; and this was the area of Chinese cultural influence.

The chines used construction techniques such as, stupa: which is a mound of dirt used for burial ground where a more permanent structure is built over the mound. This prototype was birthed in India. The stupa came to China as Buddhism and was spread to that religion. It was known that the important people were in the Buddhist religion. They also invented the Pagoda, which is a combination of the Stupa and the Chinese tower building.

As a visual icon in the modern world, the Great Wall of China is virtually identical with China. It was an architectural wonder and an engineering marvel, it is also an accomplished exampled of landscape utilization and manipulation. The Great Wall of China was located along the Northern boarder of China; it was built of stone, brick, wood, mud, and earth. The wall is 5500-13,000 miles long and it includes watchtowers.

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EXTRA CREDIT: http://www.history.com/topics/great-wall-of-china/videos/seven-wonders-the-great-wall

The Americas

The Americas developed around 2000 B.C. to 1521 A.D. This time was known for its culture of nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine rights, farming, and sporting events.  During this time there where four dominate cultures: Olmecs, Mayans-Toltecs, Aztecs, and the Incas.  The Olmecs where located in Mexico and was known as the first major civilization and also known as the “people of the rubber country”, Mayas-Toltecs flourished in Central America, the Aztecs were also in Mexico and the Incas were located in Peru.

They had ceremonial centers were the nuclei of Mesoamerica settlement. The temples provide spatial orientation for the town. Pyramids were meant to stand out and represent the gods and powers of the religion. They believed in many gods, they also believed in human Sacrifice

Out of all four cultures I’m going to focus on the Maya-Toltecs. Toltec is a site that is far to the south of the Toltec heartland around Tula, north of Teotihuacán. The reason for the existence of a Toltec city surrounded by Mayan sites is unknown. The central pyramid at Chinchen-Itza, known as El Castillo, it was a sacrifice temple related to the solar calendar. The ceremonial site meaning: ‘Mouth of the well of the Itza”.  Castillo is a four-sided pyramid that is 75’ high.

 A designed object represented on numerous sculptural reliefs and wall painting is a footed raised platform. Nobles or gods are shown kneeling on these low platforms, sometimes sitting on platforms on plantations. An altar is a version in stone of what must have been a common object.

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Gothic Review

Krista- She did a good job at explaining the Cologne Cathedral. She went into depth when she was talking about the architecture. 

Emma- I like how she went into detail about Notre Dame, I didnt know that they had colored statues. I also enjoyed her extra credit video.