Inca Arts and Crafts
Incan craftsmen earned high ranks in the Inca society because of their skill to make well done crafts for help in sacrificial ceremonies and amusement. Craftsmen make knives as a weapon during the ceremonies. One blade is called “Tumi” and it shows a great story of the craftsmen of the Inca because of the great sacrificial ceremonies “Tumi” has been in. The main resources for the metal work that the Inca architects use are; gold, tin, and copper. There are only a very small amount of gold crafts that the Inca has made because the Spanish burnt down most of them for the gold and silver.
Not only that, there were Inca weavers as well. Four types of cloth that Inca weavers use are: Alpaca, llama, vicuña, and cotton. Inca craftsmen would also make some instruments to compose music for sacrificial ceremony. For example: the flute, and drums.
Incan architecture is the most significant architecture in south america. The Incas inherited an architectural legacy from Tiwanku, founded in the second century B.C. Limestone or granite was used most as it was found most in the construction. To cut there hard rocks, the Inca used stone, bronze, or copper tools. Usually the walls of Incan buildings were slightly inclined inside and the corners were rounded. This made a real big in toughness and seismic resistance within the walls of the whole empire. Therefore, during earthquakes, with a small or moderate magnitude, the stone blocks would hold and lay at exactly the right order after an earthquake. All the walls of the Inca empire are made by Inca craftsmen. Metal workers pounded much of the gold into thin sheets to cover the palace walls. They also made some statues and other decorations for the ruler of the palace. Inca metal workers believed that silver was the metal of the moon so they used silver and gold the most in a palace.
The Incas had a special method of applying color to pottery but this secret was lost. Although most potteries were red, white, and black researchers have not found out this secret the Inca craftsmen used. All tools for eating are made from metal workers as well and a jar they made has a pointed bottom and it balances itself upright when filled with liquid. This jar rests on its side when empty. Most Inca pottery has knobs attached to it so ropes could be tied for carrying the pottery. Inca pottery is known for the elaborate yet small geometric patterns.
Citations
http://library.thinkquest.org/5058/incaart.htm
http://www.ifip.com/Inca-Art.htm
http://www.about-peru-history.com/inca-art.html
http://ancientartifax.com/precol.htm
http://www.pleasantridge.k12.ca.us/magnolia/studentlinks/websites78/social_studies/aztec-inca-maya/inca.html#artsandcrafts
