TRAV EL + LE I S U R E
Animal teeth and the human form in art EMILY WIL L IA MS Georgia ’20 ASDA Contributing Editor
ARTISTS THE WORLD OVER have looked to nature for inspiration. The physical world provides the artist with the main materials needed to create art: pigments for paint, wood and stones for sculptures, metals for decoration. Animal products are often used to create art as well, especially in communities that imbue certain creatures with religious, social or economic significance. Animal (and human) teeth are often carved, painted or incorporated into other structures as a means of human expression. Teeth are commonplace, but also benefit the artist in that they are easier to carve than stone, don’t warp like wood and retain their color. Here, we will look at a selection of teeth that have been used to convey the human form across civilizations.
Teeth are commonplace, but also benefit the artist in that they are easier to carve than stone, don’t warp like wood and retain their color. 44
Photos obtained from the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1
1/ This carving of a man from a hippopotamus tusk dates to the Naqada II period of Egypt (c. ca. 3650–3450 B.C. BCE) and is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This heavily stylized figurine shows a human form reduced to its most basic elements: a face and body. The diagonal and horizontal lines slashing across the figure invoke the image of a cloak or tunic. The pointed chin, recalling a beard, echoes the carvings and is reminiscent of a mask. The figure is rendered with a blank expression, its eyes staring out past the viewer. According to the Met, the carvings were originally filled with a black paste, enhancing the contrast of the design against the creamy white of the ivory. The artist has fit the form of the man to the intrinsic shape of
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the tusk, using as much of the material as possible while still retaining the overall essence of humanity. Details about the artist are unknown, but they may have found the tooth in their day-to-day life. Perhaps they were a hunter who took down the animal itself? Hippopotami are the deadliest animal in Africa, so perhaps the sculptor carved this tooth not just because it was convenient but also as a hunting trophy or talisman. The tusk is transformed to a man and the cycle of life continues. 2/ This Panamanian work from the 12th–14th century CE incorporates an uncarved whale’s tooth into an otherwise ornate sculpture. This Bat-Nosed Figure Pendant, located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, shows a humanoid figure fashioned out of gold, with a whale’s tooth projecting from the bottom of the form. This pendant may have been worn as part of a religious rite or to show the power and wealth of the wearer. The combination of the bat-like face with the whale’s tooth shows the importance of animals within the pre-Hispanic culture. The curving form of the tooth recalls the shape of a dagger, giving the object a sense of danger, though the tooth itself is blunted. Here, creatures of the air and of the sea are united. The delicate power of the bat’s flight with the grandeur and strength of the whale are united by the human form in an abstraction of the above characteristics, emphasizing the culture’s connection to the area in which they lived. 3/ This French booklet from the early 14th century incorporates carved and painted elephant ivory. Also housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the carved panels exhibit images of the Passion of the Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary. These are shown in bas relief, a technique in which the figures are not carved fully away from the background, keeping the sculpture confined within the planar limitations of the raw material. Though this technique is often used to decorate the facades of buildings, here it is used on an incredibly small scale to better facilitate the personal devotion of its owner — the book is only about 1.5 by 3 inches when closed, making it easy to carry around in a pocket. Architectural images are still used, though. The paint used to enhance the gothic arches reflects the interiors of medieval churches, also originally colorfully decorated, setting the ancient scenes within familiar spaces and allowing the viewer to picture them in their mind’s eye. The gold leaf recalls the prior Panamanian piece, created contemporaneously but an ocean away. The use of elephant ivory to create this precious item shows the extent of the trade routes between Europe,
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Africa and Asia during the Middle Ages, and the high level of detail reveals how valuable ivory was during this period. As much of the tusk as possible was used, even these tiny slivers, and later decorated with gold illumination to enhance its natural beauty. What is more commonplace than teeth? Through these three pieces, the artists have used teeth of all kinds to showcase the human form and give it new significance.
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