Scoop on Primates: January 2012

Last October, we started exploring how primates were perceived in various cultures and how they were depicted in art. If for the most part, primates had a bad reputation in the Western world as symbols of the devilish functions in humans; in other cultures they were revered as gods.

The Sacred Baboons

In Ancient Egypt, hymadryas baboons were associated to Thoth and the Sun God Re. Hamadryas baboons are are not native to Egypt but were imported from Somalia, Ethiopia, Erithrea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen for the pleasure of the wealthy Egyptians. They were considered as vessels who could be inhabited by deities and were treated as such. Illustrations of baboons were found in tombs; baboons were mummified and many artifacts representing Thoth show a god with a baboon head.
Even though baboons depicted on papyrii or in sculptures perform human tasks, there is no evidence that baboons were trained.

King Sun Goku

In Asia, Monkey King Sun Goku is a well known traditional character. A monkey born from stone, Sun Goku is said to have traveled to India to gather Buddhist sutras. Through his practice of the Tao, he acquired supernatural powers, such as the ability to lift up to 17,000 pounds and transform himself into 72 animals and objects. He knew spells that allowed him to control the elements like wind and water.

Brooklyn Museum - Asian Art collection: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon - Yoshitoshi

Hanuman the Monkey God

In Hindu religion, Hanuman is an ape who courageously helped Lord Rama defeat evil. He is worshiped for his physical strength and perseverance in the face of obstacles. He is an inspiration to those who read his epics.

Howler Monkey God

For the Mayas, Howler Monkey God was the patron of scribes and artists. Very often, two monkey gods are depicted on artifacts - one writes and the other carves human heads. This is believed to be a metaphor to explain the origins of the world. Large sculpures representing Howler monkey can be seen at the archeological site of Copan in Honduras.

Howler Monkey in Copan Archeological site

Chinese Zodiac - The Monkey

According to the Chinese Zodiac, monkeys are fun, loving, energetic and always cheerful. They are extremely smart and can only make the lives of those who surround them more interesting. They enjoy being the center of attention, they use charm and humor to feed their popularity. They are successful at everything they do.

How charming! I wish I were a monkey, don't you?

There would be a lot more to share about monkeys in art - we did not even talk about the famous three monkeys - but it is getting late, so ... maybe some other time...